Flores to miss rest of season with knee injury
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WASHINGTON -- Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores will be out for the remainder of the season, manager Bob Melvin announced ahead of Tuesday's matchup against the Nationals at Nationals Park.
Flores made his way to Los Angeles on Monday and was scheduled to undergo a Tenex procedure on his right knee with Dr. Steve Yoon on Tuesday to address the tendinitis in his right knee. There is still no word on the outcome of the procedure.
“Obviously it affected what he was doing this year,” Melvin said. “He was the guy last year who led the team in home runs and he was about as clutch as you can possibly have. He was fighting it all year and unfortunately, we're losing him for the rest of the year, which isn't ideal.”
He last appeared as a pinch-hitter on July 23 against the Dodgers and was placed on the injured list on July 25 (retroactive to July 24). He had returned from the same injury on July 9.
While he tried his best to play through the injury, Flores was not able to sustain the same numbers as last year. In 2023, he slashed .284/.355/.509 and led the Giants with 23 home runs. This season, he had only hit four homers with a .206/.277/.318 slash line.
“It’s in his legs, and that's what he does, and where he generates his power,” Melvin said. “So personally, I think it's affected him quite a bit. And it's probably more of a question for him and he's always going to play it off. And at least up until this point, he’ll tell you, ‘If I'm out there, I'm healthy and I'm ready to play,' but I do think it affected him.”
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Flores was mostly limited to starting at first base vs. left-handed pitching. Mark Canha -- who was acquired from the Tigers at the Trade Deadline -- can now fill that role. Flores still has a $3.5 million player option for 2025.
“Hopefully he's 100% next year, and I think he's got an option with us next year,” the manager said. “Hopefully he's back. He’s someone I really admired from the other side in the past and has a ton of leadership qualities here. And still, even though he's not here, he's checking in telling me, 'Keep it rolling,' and all the things that you'd expect out of a leader. He’s a stud.”