Giants Place All-Star SS Brandon Crawford on IL With Knee Inflammation

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford in 2019
San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford in 2019. Photo by Chris Brown/CSM/Shutterstock (10324112al)

The San Francisco Giants made several roster moves on Wednesday, including placing All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford on the 10-day injured list.

According to the Giants, Crawford landed on IL after dealing with knee inflammation. The move has been made retroactive to July 17. The team also recalled infielder David Villar from Triple-A Sacramento while sending outfielder Bryce Johnson the other way.

Crawford played 64 games this season but was bothered by his knee for the better part of the campaign. This led to his struggling at the plate, hitting .207 with five homers and 36 RBIs. The 36-year-old player had a particularly rough stretch in the past four games, managing just one hit in 15 at-bats appearances.

“He’s been dealing with the soreness to some degree since spring training,” Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler told the reporters on Wednesday. “Some days, it’s manageable. Some days, it’s challenging. We thought it was a good time to give him a blow. We hope to get him back after the off day.”

Crawford spent his entire MLB career with the Giants and is currently in the final year of the two-year, $32 million extension he signed back in 2021. He has three All-Star selections on his resume and was part of the two World Series-winning teams in San Francisco.