Giants Reliever Matt Gage Lands on IL with Left Elbow Strain

The San Francisco Giants had a tough day in Denver on Friday, and it took a toll on their bullpen the next day. Reliever Matt Gage ended up on the injured list with a left elbow strain after pitching a career-high 51 pitches in Friday’s game against the Rockies. The Giants lost 15-3 at Coors Field.

Spencer Bivens, a right-handed pitcher, was called up to replace Gage on the roster.

Gage, who hadn’t played since June 26, faced some struggles in his 34th appearance of the season, giving up four hits, six earned runs, and walking two batters on Friday. This heavy workload followed three relief appearances where he threw a total of 50 pitches, making his workload on Friday even more significant.

In a press conference at Coors Field, Gage hinted that Tommy John surgery on his left elbow might be a possibility, despite not having an MRI yet. He mentioned that he didn’t inform the coaches about his discomfort during the game because he wanted to give his all. His performance clearly showed a drop in velocity towards the end of the game.

This injury comes shortly after reliever Keaton Winn landed on the injured list due to a similar situation three weeks ago. Giants manager Tony Vitello acknowledged that Gage had been pitching through discomfort in his elbow and possibly his knee, leading to a decline in his performance since returning from the knee injury.

In this season, Gage has a 5.60 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. His previous season high in pitches was 37, and before this season, his career high was 41 pitches in two innings against the Braves last July 21.

The Giants aim to bounce back in their game against the Rockies, with Robbie Ray facing off against Sean Sullivan on Saturday night.