Duggar considering surgery for shoulder

SAN FRANCISCO -- For the second consecutive year, Steven Duggar's season could be cut short by left shoulder surgery.

Duggar suffered a Grade 3 sprain of the AC joint in his left shoulder after making a diving catch Wednesday and said he is leaning toward surgery to repair the injury. Duggar is scheduled to meet with Dr. Gary Waslewski, a shoulder specialist, on Monday and will make a final decision after that.

The Giants transferred Duggar to the 60-day injured list Friday, more than likely ending his 2019 campaign. Still, Duggar is holding out hope that he could return to play this year if the Giants make a deep run into the postseason.

"It's disappointing because a huge goal of mine coming into this year was to stay off the IL," Duggar said. "I went on the IL earlier in the year with the back [strain] and that was upsetting, but to come back and put yourself in a position to actually help the team, it definitely hurts, for sure."

Duggar said he knew something was wrong as soon as he hit the ground after snagging a liner off the bat of Juan Soto on Wednesday. He initially feared he had reinjured his labrum, which Waslewski surgically repaired last September, but an MRI exam revealed a healthy labrum and rotator cuff.

"That was really big news," Duggar said. "That was the one thing that was going through my mind the entire time I was walking off the field. 'Did I just tear my labrum again?' That would have not been good at all."

Duggar said he plans to wait a couple of weeks to see how his shoulder responds, but if he opts for surgery, he'll be facing a three-month recovery period. Either way, he expects to be ready to go by Spring Training.

"I feel awful for Duggy," manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's tough enough to go through it one time and have the surgery. He was excited about being back on the field. And then to go through it a second time, that can be disheartening. But he's a tough kid. He's got a great attitude right now. He seems to be handling it as well as he can."

Duggar, 25, opened the season as the Giants' starting center fielder and leadoff hitter, but he struggled to find his rhythm at the plate and batted .234 with a .619 OPS over 73 games. He was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in June, but he was brought back following the injury to Alex Dickerson last week and was expected to receive another extended look in the Majors over the final two months of the season.

The Giants have seen enough to know that Duggar is an elite defender, as he accrued six Defensive Runs Saved over 600 innings in the outfield this season. While dives have taken a toll on his body in two straight seasons, Duggar said he doesn't plan to change his style of play moving forward.

"You definitely think about it, but at the same time, that's how I've always played," Duggar said. "You don't want to sacrifice who you are just because you get banged up."

Homecoming for Panik

The Mets announced Friday that they'd signed second baseman Joe Panik, whose six-season Giants tenure came to an end after he was designated for assignment earlier this week. Panik, a native of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., and St. John's product, started for the Mets on Friday in place of the injured Robinson Cano.

"I sent Joe a text," Bochy said. "That's awesome news. He's home. You've got a New York native there playing for them. He'll help them. I saw he's in the lineup. I'm happy for Joe, that it's worked out well."

Barraclough claimed

The Giants claimed right-handed reliever Kyle Barraclough off waivers from the Nationals on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. Barraclough, who grew up in Santa Clara and attended Wilcox High School, has a 3.57 career ERA over five Major League seasons, but he struggled for Washington this year, logging a 6.66 ERA over 25 2/3 innings.

"He's thrown really well against us," Bochy said. "We saw him more in Miami. He's a guy that has a good arm. Sometimes a change of scenery is good for players. You have to like his stuff. I thought that was a good sign for us. It gives us a good look here before Sacramento ends their season."

Worth noting

• The Giants transferred Duggar to the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Travis Bergen, who was reinstated from the 60-day IL and activated Friday. Lefty reliever Sam Selman was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

Bergen, 25, missed 72 games with a left shoulder sprain and hasn't pitched for the Giants since May 17. The Rule 5 Draft pick logged a 1.04 ERA over his last seven rehab appearances for Triple-A Sacramento.

• First baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week, but he declined an outright assignment and elected free agency.