The San Francisco Giants learned Friday that their best starting pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, is headed for the Disabled List for the first time in his career. Bumgarner hurt his pitching shoulder and his ribs in a dirt bike accident on Thursday, an off day for the team. It is unclear just how much time he will miss, but the injuries seem to be rather serious. Bumgarner is due be re-examined next week but as of now he is expected to miss close to two months.
A rough start
It has been a but of a bumpy beginning to the 2017 season for Bumgarner since he has recorded three losses in his first four starts.
The blame doesn't all belong on his shoulders as he has pitched decently, a 3.00 earned run average in the four games, but the offense has only scored seven runs in his starts. Bumgarner even provided two of those runs himself when he cracked two home runs in his opening day start.
The San Francisco ace has been a big winner for the club the last three seasons, compiling 51 wins with an ERA under 3.00. He has been an even bigger force in the playoffs, winning the Most Valuable Player award for the 2014 World Series.
Down in the cellar
The Giants are in an unfamiliar position in the National League West sitting in dead last with a 6-10 record. The loss of Bumgarner certainly won't help their cause and just might be the fatal blow to what many experts thought was going to be a playoff run.
The team will try to prove their mettle when they begin a series with the division-leading Colorado Rockies on Friday.
The Giants called up reliever Chris Stratton to take Bumgarner's roster spot. Ty Blach will likely be the pitcher to take Bumgarner's turn in the rotation.
Risky behavior
Some Giants fans are probably scratching their heads wondering why their $11.5 million pitcher was playing around on a dirt bike in the middle of the season.
Many baseball contracts have clauses which forbid activities such as skydiving or even riding motorcycles, but it is not known whether any such clauses were in Bumgarner's deal.
Bumgarner isn't the first player to suffer an unusual injury during off the field recreation. Back in 2012 pitcher Joba Chamberlain, then of the New York Yankees, hurt himself while playing on a trampoline.
The ankle injury caused Chamberlain to lose so much blood that he nearly lost his life. Former Giants second baseman, Jeff Kent, also hurt his wrist in 2002 fooling around on a motorcycle. He initially claimed that he sustained the injury while washing his car.
