The San Francisco Giants have another significant pitching injury to deal with. This one comes with a considerable recovery timeline attached.
Tidwell’s Diagnosis and Giants’ Surgery Recommendation
Blade Tidwell suffered what the team described as a “high-grade sprain” of his UCL. News of the injury surfaced Tuesday. Following a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, further clarity emerged. According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Dr. Ken Akizuki reviewed Tidwell’s MRI and recommended surgery, a procedure that would keep him out all of 2027. “It’s pretty concerning,” Tidwell said. “It’s not something that I want, but it happens to most pitchers in today’s game, so I know I can get through it.”
A Growing List of Injured Young Arms
Tidwell’s injury adds him to an increasingly troubling pattern for San Francisco’s pitching staff. Hayden Birdsong underwent Tommy John surgery in March. Trevor McDonald and Carson Whisenhunt both had surgery in the second half of the season. That now puts four starters, all 25 years old, out of action within a six-month span.
Manager Tony Vitello acknowledged the issue had come up in conversation earlier in the year without offering much elaboration. He noted Tidwell had a long season split between relieving and starting, though he wasn’t sure how much that factored in. Vitello added that Tidwell’s situation came as something of a surprise compared to other injury cases the team has dealt with.
What This Means for the Giants’ Rotation
The timing of these injuries matters more for 2027 than for what’s left of this season, since San Francisco had already fallen out of playoff contention when McDonald, Whisenhunt and Tidwell went down. With all three now sidelined into next year, the Giants’ rotation currently consists of Logan Webb and Landen Roupp, though Roupp won’t make his final start of the season given his accumulated workload.
Adrian Houser has another year remaining on his contract. Matt Wilkinson, Anthony Molina, Yunior Marte and Cesar Perdomo have all gotten opportunities in the second half. Even accounting for that group, San Francisco’s rotation needs real reinforcement. Given the current free-agent class is considered relatively weak, the Giants may need to pursue at least one significant trade this offseason to bolster their pitching depth.
Tidwell’s Season and Path Forward
Tidwell arrived in San Francisco via a trade at last year’s deadline. His overall numbers weren’t especially eye-catching, but he flashed real promise late in the year, allowing just three runs over 10 innings across his final two starts. Vitello praised how reliable Tidwell had become as the season wore on. “He had become a guy you could count on for 90 to 100 pitches and to keep you in the game,” Vitello said.
There’s at least some comfort for Tidwell in not facing this recovery alone. Whisenhunt and McDonald are on similar timelines. Birdsong is expected back at some point next season, though he remains in the rehab process himself.
Giants Hit With Devastating Injury News After Twins Loss