Madison Bumgarner was the Giants' opener Saturday night. No, that was not planned.
The ace left-hander lasted just two innings before leaving with a bruise to his pitching elbow. He was struck in the arm by a line drive off the bat of Cardinals outfielder Jose Martinez in the first inning.
Bumgarner completed that inning and another one but was removed before facing a batter in the top of the third. He left the mound after a consultation with manager Bruce Bochy and trainer Dave Groeschner.
Here’s the ball that hit Bumgarner on the arm and eventually knocked him out of the game pic.twitter.com/i8Ucv7rugk
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) July 7, 2019
X-rays were negative, the team announced.
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Fans at Oracle Park, perhaps sensing that this might be Bumgarner's final home start as a Giant, gave him a standing ovation as he walked off the field, The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly tweeted . Bumgarner is one of the top trade targets ahead of the July 31 deadline.
Any injury that sidelines Bumgarner beyond Saturday is sure to complicate talks between the Giants and other teams. Will a team risk renting Bumgarner for the final two months if he isn't available until, say, mid-August?