SAN FRANCISCO -- The final series of the first half has been much more costly than just two losses to the Marlins.
Rookie outfielder Austin Slater, hurt Friday night, will be out two to three months after tearing the adductor muscle in his right hip, NBC Sports Bay Area has learned. The Giants expected to have more information Sunday morning, but an MRI on Saturday showed the tear, which is significant enough that it likely will cost Slater the rest of a promising rookie season.
The 24-year-old was well on his way to winning a full-time job in the outfield. Slater hit .290 in his first 100 at-bats with three homers and he played solid defense in left, filling a hole that helped derail this season early on. If there's any good news for Slater, it's that he showed enough that management should comfortably consider him a part of the future. He won't have a chance to build on that debut, though.
Slater dealt with problems in the hip/groin area over the previous couple of weeks. He hit a grounder in the eighth inning Friday and pulled up just as he was reaching first base. The Giants knew right away that the injury was significant, and manager Bruce Bochy hinted Friday that Slater would miss significant time.
