Heliot Ramos left the Giants‘ 5-2 loss to the Athletics on May 15 after suffering a right quad injury. The team placed Ramos on the 10-day injured list before the following game in Sacramento.
It appears that it will be an extended absence for the Giants’ left fielder. Manager Tony Vitello briefed reporters, including Justice de los Santos of MLB.com, that Ramos will miss at least two weeks, but could be out “a handful of weeks” with a right quad strain.
In the immediate aftermath, the Giants recalled outfielder Will Brennan from Triple-A Sacramento. In the first game after Ramos hit the injured list, the club started Drew Gilbert in left field.
Giants Lose Heliot Ramos to Right Quad Strain
Of the Giants’ first 45 games, Ramos started in left field for 42 of them. With him sidelined for two weeks at a minimum, they’ll have to piece together left field with their internal options. Of their four outfielders on the active roster, center fielder Harrison Bader serves as the only right-handed hitter.
Following a 2024 breakout, Ramos has been a slightly above league-average hitter. Over that stretch, he’s slashed .259/.324/.405 with 25 home runs. FanGraphs rates Ramos as about 6% better than the average hitter, with a 106 wRC+.
While that is a far cry from his 120 mark from 2024, it was still enough to keep an everyday role in the Giants’ lineup. His absence creates a hole in their lineup, especially in their outfield.
With their lineup against the Athletics on May 16, it may reveal the club’s plans on how they’ll navigate left field without Ramos.
Giants Outfield Situation Following Heliot Ramos Injury
With Brennan being recalled as the corresponding move to Ramos hitting the injured list, it gives the Giants a left-handed-heavy outfield. That leaves the club vulnerable to left-handed pitchers.
One out-of-the-box option they could try is transitioning infielder Casey Schmitt into corner outfield duty. Schmitt finished out the game against the Athletics on May 15 in left field following Ramos’ injury.
The Giants are currently running an infield of Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Luis Arraez, and Rafael Devers. Schmitt serves as the de facto designated hitter on the club while getting starts in the field when one of the veteran infielders starts at DH.
So theoretically, the Giants could turn to a Drew Gilbert/Schmitt platoon in left field. Gilbert has hit well against right-handed pitchers this season, with a .290/.362/.452 slash and a 131 wRC+ when holding the platoon advantage.
Schmitt, a right-handed hitter, would start in left field against left-handed pitchers. He owns a .357/.386/.500 slash and a 155 wRC+ against lefties in 2026.
With both Schmitt and Gilbert hitting well when holding the platoon advantage so far in 2026, the Giants could rely on the two for now. However, the sample size is currently 69 and 42 plate appearances, so it’s a difficult projection over the next two-plus weeks.
But for a team that’s nine games under .500 and looking like hard sellers at the trade deadline, they’ve got nothing to lose by trying out that platoon. If it works in 2026, they could consider a similar platoon in 2027.
Giants Share Concerning Heliot Ramos Injury Timeline