“I think there’s an emphasis (for Adames) to really structure his workouts to increase his athletic movements,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said. “The way I’m thinking is less bulky muscle mass and a little bit more -- still explosive -- but twitchy and helping with the range.” That’s probably the right call for the Giants; they need Adames’ defense to bounce back even more than they do his offense. It probably doesn’t bode well for Adames making another run at 30 homers, though.
Adames has five years and $140 million left on his deal, and the Jays will certainly expect the Giants to eat a portion of that if they pursue a deal. Adames also has a full no-trade clause, so he controls his own destiny. We assume he’d be more of a fallback possibility for Toronto if some other middle infield options don’t work out.
It doesn’t sound like Adames will require surgery to address the issue, but he’s headed for a second opinion before that decision is made. It certainly seems like his season is over. The 30-year-old hit the shelf with an elbow sprain earlier this week. It’ll most likely be Christian Koss filling in at shortstop until trade deadline acquisition Marcelo Mayer is ready to return from the injured list.
Adames suffered the injury during Sunday’s game against the Red Sox after battling lingering back issues for the past couple weeks. The 30-year-old has been diagnosed with a moderate sprain, according to the team, which means he’s probably going to miss at least a couple weeks.
The IL might be a possibility here. It’s poor timing for Adames, as he says his back has started feeling a lot better in recent days. Christian Koss will likely start at shortstop while Adames is out.
No further word yet on his status. Adames, who has also been dealing with back issues, singled and scored against the Red Sox before departing in the fifth inning. If he’s forced to the IL, the Giants could give the recently acquired Shay Whitcomb a look at third base, with Christian Koss moving to short.
Adames, who has been dealing with back soreness, may have tweaked something on a slide into home plate in the first. Buddy Kennedy replaced him, with Christian Koss moving from third to short.
Adames put the Giants on the board early, taking Patrick Sandoval deep for a solo homer in the first inning. He then added a single in the third. It was his second home run in the last three games and his 21st of the season while hitting .229/.289/.424 with 61 runs scored, 51 RBI, and five steals across 502 plate appearances.
Adames did his damage in the fourth inning of this one, ambushing a first-pitch fastball from Gavin Williams for a 418-foot (103.4-mph EV) two-run blast that got the Giants on the board and pulled them to within a run at 3-2. That would be the extent of their offense. Adames finished the afternoon 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. He’s had a disappointing season at the dish, slashing just .229/.288/.421 with the aforementioned 20 long balls and 50 RBI.
Adames is back at shortstop and hitting third following an extended four-game absence due to back spasms. It certainly seemed like he was a lock to hit the injured list last week, but the Giants are going to keep him on the active roster and manage the ongoing issue moving forward. The 30-year-old veteran offers enough over-the-fence pop to matter in deeper leagues, but he doesn’t offer much else in the remaining categories at this stage of his career.
Adames takes a seat for the fourth consecutive game, but doesn’t appear headed to the injured list since he’s participating in full baseball activities, according to the Giants. The 30-year-old shortstop will receive some additional time off from game action to address a lingering back issue with Christian Koss handling the spot in his absence. It’s a frustrating situation for fantasy managers, but all indications are that he’ll make it back to San Francisco’s lineup at some point this week.
While the Giants have yet to place Adames on the injured list, it has to be a growing consideration at this point. It may actually be in the Giants’ best interest just to shut him down for the remainder of the season to ensure that he gets right heading into 2027. Fantasy managers who are relying on him for next week should have a contingency plan in place to be on the safe side.
Giants’ skipper Tony Vietllo told reporters on Friday that Adames had an MRI on his back on Thursday which revealed only a minor lower back strain. He’s considered day-to-day and still isn’t expected to require a trip to the injured list. Christian Koss will start in his place at shortstop and bat ninth for the Giants against Rockies’ left-hander Kyle Freeland on Friday evening in San Francisco.
Vitello added that Adames will sit out Friday’s series opener against the Rockies in an effort to put a lingering back problem to bed. The issue flared up and led to his removal from the late stages of Wednesday’s series finale against the Astros. The 30-year-old shortstop has been dealing with back spasms for a couple weeks at this juncture. It’s impossible to completely rule out a trip to the injured list, especially given everything we know about persistent back issues, but it sounds like Adames will be ready to return this weekend.
Adames appeared to be dealing with some back discomfort following a seventh-inning flip to start a double play. He was replaced at shortstop by Buddy Kennedy in the eighth inning after going 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. There should be an update on his status following the contest.
Adames tagged Tigers’ right-hander Keider Montero for a 367-foot (106.5-mph EV) solo shot in the fifth inning that capped off the scoring in the ballgame. That would be his lone hit in four at-bats on the night which included a pair of strikeouts. On the season, the 30-year-old shortstop is now hitting .221/.279/.414 with the aforementioned 19 homers and 48 RBI.
Adames’ home run was his 18th of the season. He hit a two-run, game-tying home run off Alex Lange with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. It was a clutch home run by Adames, though the Giants would lose in the bottom of the ninth inning. He’s hitting .228 with a .713 OPS and 44 RBI.
Adames’ shot to right center in the seventh inning was the first homer allowed by Nick Davila in 20 1/3 innings since he debuted in May. It’s his seventh career grand slam. He’s driven in nine runs in 11 games this month.
The Giants got their go-ahead run in the eighth when Hunter Goodman threw the ball into center on Grant McCray’s steal attempt, allowing Rafael Devers to score from third. Adames then singled in McCray for an insurance run. It was Adames’s first three-hit game since May 16. He had been off to a 5-for-32 start this month.
