Giants Third Baseman Matt Chapman Set for MRI After Abdominal Injury During Loss

Matt Chapman was already heading into a busy week. Now he’s got an MRI to squeeze in too.

The Giants third baseman pulled up lame during Tuesday night’s 8-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, grabbing his side after making a play in the field. He’s dealing with an abdominal strain, and according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale, Chapman is scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday to figure out exactly how bad it is.

The timing couldn’t be more complicated. Chapman and his wife are expecting a baby boy any day now — the due date is July 5 — so he was already due for paternity leave. Now the Giants have to sort out whether this injury lands him on the injured list or if he can play through it, assuming he’s even available with the family situation.

A reliable glove, a quiet bat

Chapman’s defense hasn’t slipped. The five-time Gold Glove winner — he’s also got two Platinum Gloves — is still one of the best at the hot corner in baseball. That part of his game is as dependable as ever.

The hitting, though? That’s been a different story.

He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Tuesday, dropping his season line to .235 with seven home runs, a .324 on-base percentage, and a .692 OPS across 84 games. For a guy making the kind of money the Giants are paying him, that’s not cutting it. But even with those offensive struggles, San Francisco can’t exactly afford to lose him. There’s not a ton of depth behind him on the roster, and the defense alone has value on a team that’s already struggling in other areas.

Giants are sinking fast

After taking series from the Athletics and the Braves at home, San Francisco looked like maybe they were finding something. Then they rolled into Arizona and dropped two straight. The Giants are now 35-50, sitting 10.5 games back of the third NL Wild Card spot.

Here’s the thing: that last wild card slot is currently held by the Miami Marlins, who are tied with the Cardinals. St. Louis was supposed to be rebuilding this year. Washington and Pittsburgh are both hanging around too. These are not juggernauts. These are the kinds of teams the Giants should be competing with if they want to be taken seriously.

Instead, San Francisco is fighting to stay ahead of the last-place Rockies. That’s where this season has gone.

A healthy Matt Chapman probably isn’t going to save the 2026 campaign. But he can still put together a strong second half and get his confidence back heading into next year. The guy is 33. He’s got good baseball left if his body cooperates.

For now, everyone’s waiting on that MRI and the baby news. One or both could sideline him soon.