LOS ANGELES -- As the Giants took the field at Dodger Stadium for batting practice ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Chapman walked out to shortstop with a splint on his right hand, which has three sprained fingers. He took some grounders, flipping balls toward a bucket with his glove. Then he walked out to center field and shagged fly balls. At one point, Chapman took some swings, using his glove as a bat.
That's about all the Giants' third baseman can do right now, but on Friday, he did get some encouraging news. Chapman met with Los Angeles-based hand specialist Dr. Stephen Shin early in the day; he was told he's healing well and can begin the rehab process in about a week.
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SIGN UP HERE "He was pleasantly surprised with how fast I was healing and said usually somebody that had the injury I had would probably be in more pain at this point, so it was good news," Chapman said. "That made him feel confident enough to tell us that I could probably start to begin to pick up a bat and try to do exercises in a week."
Even with the positive update, it will be a slow process. The Giants haven't given an official timetable, but Chapman hinted at one on Friday when he was talking about Casey Schmitt, who has taken over at third. Chapman credited Schmitt for stepping in and having a good series in Colorado, and added that he would be needed there for "at least another three or four weeks."
Chapman could be sidelined for the rest of the first half, but there's still a lot that's up in the air. The Giants will know more when he's cleared to grip a bat and try to throw a baseball. Those will be his two biggest challenges, and it will take some time to get fully cleared and also to be able to do both without pain. Chapman said Dr. Shin's diagnosis was right in line with what he was hoping to hear and what the Giants' training staff anticipated. The strength and stability at this point are encouraging.
"It's really hard to put a timeline on it, but I'm going to do everything I can to come back as fast as I can," he said. "So it's good news that I get to start trying stuff in a week. We just have to follow and see what my symptoms are. At the same time, I want to be smart so that when I do come back, I'm able to be productive for the team and be able to not come out of the lineup because I tried to rush and come back.
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"I just want to make sure we do it the right way, but it's nice to know we're off to a good start."
Schmitt was 5-for-12 at Coors Field with a home run that helped spark a comeback, but he also made a crucial error in Thursday's loss. Chapman said he spoke to Schmitt about the misplay.
"I just told him that's baseball," Chapman said. "I'm like, dude, I've had that happen to me plenty of times. I've made errors this season and had some balls that I probably thought I could make that I didn't make, but that happens. It's baseball."