SAN FRANCISCO — Catcher Buster Posey was forced to depart the Giants’ 8-0 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday night at Oracle Park after taking a foul tip from AJ Pollock off his mask in the top of the second inning.
Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani immediately dropped to his knees when he saw Posey take the direct hit, which caused paint chips to fly off his catcher’s mask. Posey, who has dealt with concussions in the past, visibly grimaced in the immediate aftermath, though he stayed in the game until being replaced by backup catcher Curt Casali in the top of the fourth.
Manager Gabe Kapler said the Giants decided to remove Posey from the game once he began to experience a little bit of dizziness. Posey was evaluated by a team doctor, though he was not diagnosed with a concussion and will continue to be monitored.
“It rung his bell pretty good,” Kapler said of Pollock’s foul tip. “We’re going to keep monitoring him and see how he feels tomorrow. He was feeling better after the game, so that’s a good signal.”
Posey has been placed on the concussion list on two previous occasions, most recently in May 2019, when he also took a foul tip off his mask during a game at Cincinnati. The other instance was in April 2017, when he was struck on the helmet by a Taijuan Walker fastball in San Francisco’s home opener. He returned to the field following the seven-day time frame both times.
Posey wasn’t expected to start Thursday’s day game against the Dodgers, and the Giants will likely proceed cautiously with their All-Star catcher given his history of brain injuries.
“That was for sure scary,” DeSclafani said. “It squared him up pretty well. I was super surprised that he stayed in the ballgame. Obviously, I know concussions or getting hit on the head is tricky. If it’s a concussion, it’s not good, but I know he’s got a day off tomorrow. I’m kind of hoping he’s back in there against Houston.”
If Posey needs to miss time, the Giants could recall top prospect Joey Bart or Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Sacramento to give themselves more coverage behind the plate.
