Crawford is out of the lineup Thursday versus the Diamondbacks.
Casey Schmitt is playing shortstop and batting ninth as Isan Diaz covers second base and hits eighth. Crawford has enjoyed a productive week so far, but he's slashing just .215/.286/.355 through 239 total plate appearances this year at age 36.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Swats sixth homer
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Crawford went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Crawford has gone 4-for-12 with three RBI over three games since he returned from a knee injury that sent him to the injured list. The shortstop has a .214/.286/.348 slash line with six homers, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored and three stolen bases over 68 contests this season. With Marco Luciano back at Triple-A Sacramento, Crawford should retain his spot as the Giants' primary shortstop at least until Thairo Estrada (hand) is activated.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Activated from IL
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The Giants reinstated Crawford (knee) from the 10-day injured list Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Crawford wasn't expected to be back until Sunday, but the veteran shortstop will return to the Giants' bench a day early while Marco Luciano draws the start Saturday against Boston. It remains to be seen what role Crawford fill with Luciano, who is the Giants' top infield prospect, now up with the big club. Brett Wisely was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Expected back Sunday
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Crawford (knee) is expected to return to the Giants' lineup Sunday against the Red Sox, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
After reporting improvement during the week, Crawford cleared his final hurdle Friday, logging at-bats against a minor-league pitcher. It sounds like he will return after missing just over the minimum, though his exact role is to be determined in light of Marco Luciano's promotion. Luciano was reportedly taking grounders at second base Friday.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Reports improvement
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Crawford said Thursday that he's already shown improvement and won't require a cortisone shot for his inflamed left knee, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford landed on the injured list Wednesday but may be sidelined for only the 10-day minimum, given that he seems to be making good progress in his recovery. Casey Schmitt is expected to serve as the Giants' primary shortstop for however long Crawford is on the shelf.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Lands on 10-day IL
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Crawford was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to July 17, with left knee inflammation.
Crawford will be sidelined for at least the next eight days with another leg injury. He's slashed just .207/.285/.333 in 64 games (222 plate appearances) this season when healthy.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Idle versus lefty
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Crawford is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
He'll join fellow left-handed-hitting regulars LaMonte Wade and Joc Pederson on the bench for the series opener while the Reds bring southpaw Brandon Williamson to the hill. Casey Schmitt will step in for Crawford at shortstop.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Back in lineup Friday
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Crawford (hamstring) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in his return to the lineup Friday in Pittsburgh, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford missed the final game of the first half with a tight left hamstring, but he's feeling well enough to play after resting over the All-Star break. He and his Giants teammates are going up against southpaw Rich Hill.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Sitting Sunday
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Crawford (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford was pulled from Saturday's game with hamstring tightness and will be sidelined for the final game before the All-Star break Sunday, though manager Gabe Kapler said an appearance as a pinch hitter is possible, per Slusser. Casey Schmitt will take over at shortstop while Brett Wisely mans the keystone.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Dealing with hamstring tightness
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Crawford exited Saturday's game against the Rockies with left hamstring tightness, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.
Crawford suffered the injury while running to first base in the sixth inning. Manager Gabe Kapler downplayed the significance of the injury, but Crawford will likely be held out Sunday in anticipation of the All-Star break.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Homers in Friday's loss
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Crawford went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Rockies.
Crawford provided one of the Giants' five hits with his sixth-inning blast. Since his four-hit game June 17 versus the Dodgers, the shortstop has hit just .196 (9-for-46) over 16 contests. He's still seeing steady playing time despite a .219/.298/.355 slash line over 61 games this season. He's added five homers, 25 RBI, 21 runs scored, three stolen bases and 10 doubles. With Thairo Estrada (hand) out at least into August, Crawford should continue to see the bulk of the playing time at shortstop while Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely appear set to cover the keystone.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Returns to lineup Tuesday
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Crawford (side) is back in the lineup Tuesday against the Mariners.
Crawford will start at shortstop and bat eighth versus the Mariners and right-hander Logan Gilbert. He was held out of the starting lineup Monday due to side discomfort but did appear off the bench for two at-bats.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Absent Monday
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Crawford (side) isn't in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners.
Crawford suffered the injury on a dive during Sunday's game against the Mets, so the team may be taking a cautious approach, especially with the All-Star break on the horizon. Casey Schmitt draws the start at shortstop and is set to bat ninth in Crawford's stead.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Managing side issue
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Manager Gabe Kapler said after Sunday's loss to the Mets that Crawford is dealing with a side injury, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford appeared to sustain his injury while making a diving play in the eighth inning, but he was able to remain in the game. He went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in the defeat. The 36-year-old will be re-evaluated Monday and should tentatively be considered day-to-day.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Smacks four hits
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Crawford went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 15-0 win over the Dodgers.
Crawford has just two multi-hit games in his last 11, but he's batting .344 (11-for-32) in that span. The shortstop has started to get his season back on track with the improved hitting in June, though he'll still need to stay sharp to keep Casey Schmitt from eating into his playing time. For the year, Crawford has a .226/.303/.365 slash line with four home runs, 20 RBI, 17 runs scored and three stolen bases over 45 games.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Goes to bench Sunday
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Crawford is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Crawford had started at shortstop in four of the past five games, but he'll give way to rookie Casey Schmitt for the series finale. Though Crawford still grades out well defensively, his middling .192/.276/.350 slash line over 134 plate appearances has made it difficult for the Giants to justify giving him an everyday role at this stage of his career. Expect him to continue to see part-time duties behind Schmitt while the Giants are at full strength in the infield.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Delivers off bench
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Crawford went 1-for-1 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's victory over the Rockies.
Pinch-hitting for Casey Schmitt in the ninth inning, Crawford delivered an RBI double off Pierce Johnson to tie the game at 4-4 before scoring on Joc Pederson's two-out base hit. The 36-year-old Crawford had been stuck in a 1-for-13 slump coming into Thursday's contest while retreating to a part-time role. Overall, he's slashing just .195/.283/.354 with four homers, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored through 127 plate appearances this season.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: On bench Sunday
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Crawford is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford had started in five of the past six games and should enjoy a semi-regular role while Thairo Estrada (wrist) is on the shelf, but the veteran shortstop hasn't made a strong case to deserve steady playing time when the Giants are at full strength. Over 119 plate appearances on the season, Crawford is maintaining a .629 OPS -- the lowest mark of his career since his 2011 rookie campaign.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Retreats to bench
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Crawford is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Crawford will head to the bench after he started each of the Giants' last three games, going 4-for-8 with two doubles and two walks over that stretch. Even with the recent hot run at the plate, Crawford is still maintaining a lowly .639 OPS for the season, and it's unclear if the Giants remain committed to him as a regular in the middle infield. Rookie Casey Schmitt appears to be locked in as an everyday option at one of the two middle-infield spots, leaving Crawford and Brett Wisely to vie for most of the opportunities at the other position.
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Giants' Brandon Crawford: Posts three-hit effort
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Crawford went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, one RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 14-4 win over the Pirates.
Crawford's produced just three multi-hit efforts in 31 contests, and this was his first since his return from a calf injury. The shortstop has increasingly found himself on the bench -- he sat out three games in a row, all against right-handers, from May 25-27. The lefty hitter should have a clearer path to playing time while Thairo Estrada (wrist) is on the injured list, as it opens up the opportunity for rookie Casey Schmitt to start at second base. A drop in playing time for Crawford is justified, as he's still slashing a paltry .202/.288/.364 with four home runs, 13 RBI, nine runs scored, three stolen bases and four doubles this year even after Monday's big game.
