The Giants announced that first baseman Rafael Devers has been placed on the 60-day injured list due to a core muscle injury.  Outfielder Scott Bandura’s contract has been selected from Triple-A, and Bandura will replace Devers on both the 28-man and 40-man rosters.

Devers “has managed this issue for much of the season and chose to keep playing through it,” according to a team press release.  The three-time All-Star will visit Dr. William Meyers on Monday and could undergo a surgery as early as Tuesday, depending on the doctor’s recommendation.

Though Devers has been the DH rather than the first baseman in four of San Francisco’s last five games, there wasn’t any indication that he was battling any sort of injury.  In fact, Devers has been the hottest hitter in baseball for weeks — he has a .291/.398/.674 slash line and 15 homers since August 1, with the best wRC+ (187) of any qualified batter in that stretch.

An ice-cold start for Devers paired with the Giants’ poor record somewhat put his hitting exploits under the radar for most of the year, but Devers has basically been hitting like usual self since the start of May.  He’ll finish his 2026 campaign with a .258/.340/.525 slash, a 135 wRC+, and 37 homers (one off his career high) in 633 PA.  Though there was some speculation that the Giants might try to unload Devers’ contract at the trade deadline or perhaps in the offseason, it’s hard to imagine that such a move is in the offing when Devers is living up to his hefty salary with these elite numbers.

John Shea of the San Francisco Standard reported yesterday that Bandura would be added to the active roster, and Bandura will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game.  A seventh-round pick out of Princeton in the 2023 draft, Bandura has hit .320/.407/.488 over 604 combined plate appearances at the Double-A and Triple-A levels this year.  He has also stolen 34 bases in 38 attempts, giving Bandura a sparkling 102-for-114 steals record for his minor league career.

This breakout season hasn’t gotten Bandura ranked on the top-30 Giants prospects lists from either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, but the 25-year-old will happily trade evaluator attention for his first ticket to the Show.  Bandura’s speed, on-base ability, increased power, and ability to play all three outfield positions make him an interesting player to watch as the Giants evaluate their outfield options heading into 2027.

Casey Schmitt and Harrison Bader will be returning from injuries, though Bader’s future with the club may be in question given how the Giants suspended paying Bader his salary following a scooter accident in July.  Jung Hoo Lee has established himself as a regular and Drew Gilbert and Jonah Cox have made cases for larger roles next year, but San Francisco could still conceivably look to augment this whole group with another veteran outfield bat.