LOS ANGELES - When the Giants got Evan Longoria back last month, they immediately found themselves without Brandon Belt. They're hoping not to repeat that process.
Belt could be back Tuesday, but it's unclear if he'll be taking throws from his usual shortstop. Brandon Crawford collided with Gorkys Hernandez in a nasty fifth-inning collision and was put in the concussion protocol. Manager Bruce Bochy said Crawford was feeling much better after the game, but the Giants know all too well that these things can be unpredictable.
"It rattled him pretty good," Bochy said. "For precaution reasons, he came out. He's in the concussion protocol but he feels pretty good. We're hoping for the best. We'll re-evaluate him, but right now it looks pretty good, I'll say that."
The Giants have had three players go into the concussion protocol in the last nine days. Buster Posey and Nick Hundley avoided the concussion DL after taking foul tips off the mask. Crawford took a thigh to the face as he chased Clayton Kershaw's pop-up down the left field line. He went down but quickly popped back up, and at first it looked like Hernandez was in more pain. The left fielder jammed his wrist but stayed in the game. Bochy said Crawford looked shaken as he came off the field.
Crawford is the club's most irreplaceable player, so any ability to go on a run here may depend on Tuesday's evaluation. Alen Hanson took over at short and later gave way to Chase d'Arnaud.
--- Belt was 1-for-3 with a double in his second rehab game for Triple-A Sacramento. Team officials will now decide if he needs one more game there, or if he'll face Alex Wood on Tuesday.
Sports
--- It's been a while since a Bumgarner-Puig showdown, and there wasn't any drama Monday. Puig flied out in his first at-bat and angrily batted his bat down as he left the box, but Bumgarner simply smiled and shook his head. After Puig popped up in the sixth, the two came close to crossing paths on the infield, but they never looked at each other.
--- Hundley was the hero tonight. He's 5-for-12 this season as a pinch-hitter, with a homer and six RBI.
--- Jeff Samardzija threw a short simulated game and likely will do that one more time before starting a rehab assignment. Samardzija said he feels great. Of course, he said that the last time, too, but there seems to be more confidence with team officials this time that the shoulder is healed.
--- Tip of the cap to d'Arnaud and his infield coaches. He was out taking grounders at short on the homestand and said it was because you never know when you'll be needed at a new spot. When Hundley pinch-hit for Hanson, d'Arnaud was needed. He moved from second to short and Joe Panik entered as the second baseman.
