Giants' Willy Adames seeks late September return, improvement in 2027
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Of course Willy Adames wants to play again this season if he's able to after he recovers from a left elbow sprain, the question almost doesn't even have to be asked. But much as the San Francisco Giants shortstop loves to make every start, he knows in this case it might not be the wisest course of action.
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Adames got a platelet-rich plasma injection Thursday evening and will be held back from activity for a few days, but the recovery timeline is three to four weeks. That makes a return in the last week of the season possible. Maybe. A couple of at-bats before the season ends would be ideal, he said.
"I'm hoping that I can play in the last week - I don't know how many days we're going to have," Adames said. "But if I'm not 100%, I don't think I'm going to push it. It would be different if we were in a different position, but even though I want to be out there every day, I have to feel 100%."
Adames was injured in a play at the plate last Sunday in Boston when catcher Connor Wong's knee connected with his arm.
"I didn't really feel when his knee hit me, I just kind of felt pain when I slid," Adames said. "I knew there was something in there, but I didn't know it was like that - I thought maybe a few days (of rest) and it would have been fine, but it was worse than what I thought."
Adames' back, which has bothered him much of the season, has calmed down, but there's no doubt that some extended time off would also help ensure the back is no longer a problem next year. And like the rest of the team, Adames is all about next year - he had a season he called "disappointing" on both sides of the ball.
Adames is hitting .230 with 21 homers and his 62 runs are second most on the team; his defense, in part because of his back, was poor, tied for the worst Outs Above Average in the majors, at -17 along with a -5 Defensive Runs Saved according to the Fielding Bible.
Next year, he must be healthy, for starters. What else does he need to do differently?
"Everything," Adames said. "It felt like I couldn't get it right this year, on defense or offense. So I'll work on reevaluating what I was doing this year and then focus on all the points that I have to adjust and go about it in the offseason."
Adames has a coach he works with every winter in the Dominican Republic, Angel Gonzalez, who will help.
"He always brings me back to my roots and where I have to go when I'm not doing well," Adames said. "We always work and make an adjustment so whatever I was doing wrong that year I can come back the next year and do my thing."
Pitching possibilities: Left-hander Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson and right-hander Yunior Marte are on hand but were not active for Friday's game. Wilkinson is likely to be the 27th player for Saturday's doubleheader against Arizona, and Marte could be an addition depending on how Friday night's game goes. If the bullpen isn't overtaxed, one of the games might be a bullpen game.
Marte, like Jonah Cox, would be coming straight from Double-A Richmond, where he had a 3.92 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 64⅓ innings in 13 starts. The 23-year-old was obtained from the Royals for Mike Yastrzemski last year.
Briefly: Marcelo Mayer is out of his walking boot and could be an option for the Giants at some point soon; manager Tony Vitello said the infielder will increase his activity over the next couple of days. Another rehab assignment might be necessary before he makes his Giants debut but it certainly looks more likely that will happen next month. … Sharks stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith took batting practice with the Giants for the second year in a row, and this time Smith, who came close last year, went deep.
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