San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader's monthslong wait on the sideline is likely to be extended further after he was involved in a scooter crash over the weekend.
Bader has been out of the lineup since May 29 with left plantar fasciitis, and the team said Tuesday that the foot was further damaged in the crash that occurred "Saturday night/early Sunday morning." The Giants noted that a planned appointment for Bader with a foot and ankle specialist in Indianapolis on Monday was "complicated" by the crash and "changed the nature of his evaluation."
The Giants did not offer further details about the crash. Bader, 32, was scheduled for an MRI in San Francisco on Tuesday.
"I reached out to him, asked him if he was OK," Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters Tuesday before an 8-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. "Obviously, he's not better than he was prior to that. I've left the rest up to everybody else, kind of sorting out the details.
"There's a chance it could delay whatever the recovery process is for him. But again, even prior to it, we're looking at a pretty frustrating and long runway before he could get on the field again."
In 2014, Bader was suspended 19 games by the Florida Gators after he was involved in a scooter crash in which alcohol was allegedly a factor.
After signing a two-year, $20.5 million free agent deal, Bader has hit .170 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in 30 games this season. He also missed time with a left hamstring strain that he initially suffered in spring training.
