Giants right-hander Logan Webb is heading to the injured list with right knee bursitis, the team announced. Fellow righty Trevor McDonald is coming back up to the big leagues. The Webb move is retroactive to May 6. San Francisco expects the ace to return when he’s first eligible, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports.
The Padres pounded Webb for six earned runs over four innings in his most recent start. The two-time All-Star was forced to depart after the knee injury flared up. “I’ve dealt with it for a little while, but it’s still no excuse,” Webb told reporters, including Henry Schulman of MLB.com. Webb will now get a couple of weeks to recover from the issue.
Webb has been one of the more durable starters in the league since becoming a permanent member of the Giants’ rotation. He’s made at least 32 starts in each of the past four seasons. The righty has paced the National League in innings for three straight years. Webb’s last IL stint was back in 2021, when he missed time with shoulder and back injuries.
The volume has been there for Webb this year, but the production has been underwhelming, even before the rough showing against San Diego. He’s posted a 5.06 ERA across eight starts. Webb’s strikeout rate has ticked down to a below-average 20.2%. A 7.2% walk rate would be a solid outcome for a lot of pitchers, though it’s Webb’s worst mark since the shortened 2020 season. The veteran is still getting groundballs at a massive clip (58.5%). His xFIP and SIERA are right around 3.50, which suggests Webb has pitched better than his results.
McDonald was sent down after his lone start on Monday. He’s right back with the Giants after a few days at Triple-A. McDonald is lined up to make his next appearance against the Dodgers in a series that kicks off on Monday. San Francisco was off on Thursday, so Webb wasn’t scheduled to pitch again this week.
The 25-year-old McDonald has excelled in his brief big-league chances. He tossed three hitless innings in his 2024 debut. The righty delivered a 3.60 ERA over three appearances last season. In his two starts, he held the Dodgers to a run over six innings, then piled up 10 strikeouts against the Rockies. The strong close to the year wasn’t enough to earn McDonald a roster spot out of camp. A 6.94 ERA in Spring Training didn’t help matters. McDonald will now get a couple of starts to make his case to stay in the majors.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto, Imagn Images
