SAN FRANCISCO — Moments after circling the bases following his game-tying home run, Giants third baseman Wilmer Flores was removed from Saturday’s game at Oracle Park.
The Giants announced Flores left the game with lower back tightness and Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he would be considered “day-to-day,” with the injury.
After lofting a high flyball down the left field line, Flores remained in the batter’s box to watch the trajectory of the ball, which is unusual considering the ball was not in jeopardy of going foul and only cleared the left field fence by a few feet. When the Giants returned to the field for the top of the fourth inning, Thairo Estrada replaced Flores at third base.
Flores was in the midst of a busy afternoon when he departed as the third baseman was also responsible for a throwing error that led to an Astros run in the third inning. With two outs and a pair of runners on base against Giants starter Alex Wood, Flores fielded a potential inning-ending groundball hit by Houston shortstop Carlos Correa and threw high and wide to first base.
The throwing error allowed Houston to tack on its third run of the game after Aledmys Díaz had hit a two-run homer off Wood earlier in the frame.
The Giants can use Estrada and Jason Vosler at third base on Saturday, but the team is expecting slugger Kris Bryant to arrive on Sunday and make his debut for his new club in San Francisco in the series finale against the Astros.
Bryant was acquired moments ahead of Friday’s trade deadline in a deal with the Chicago Cubs and is flying across the country on Saturday.
