San Francisco Giants pitcher Trevor McDonald is likely headed for the injured list after experiencing elbow pain during his start on Monday night. McDonald left the game against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning after feeling discomfort while warming up. He reported feeling discomfort in his elbow after throwing a slider during his warmups, opting to exit the game to avoid further risk.
McDonald had allowed three runs on three hits, including a home run by Salvador Perez, in the previous inning. He also hit two batters and walked two. McDonald attributed some of his struggles in the game to difficulty gripping the baseball due to heavy sweating on a hot and humid night at Kauffman Stadium. "I’m a pretty heavy sweater," McDonald said. "I kind of turned into a one-pitch pony there for a little bit, losing the grip on the slider and the changeup."
The 25-year-old right-hander has had an inconsistent season, and the second half was seen as an important evaluation period for the Giants, who are out of playoff contention. McDonald was expected to be part of the team's future plans, but his outlook is now uncertain.
Following his abbreviated outing, McDonald's earned run average (ERA) stood at 5.12. He recorded 57 strikeouts against 35 combined walks and hit batters over 70 ⅓ innings in 14 starts this season.
The Giants are not waiting for the MRI results to make a roster move. Pitcher Tristan Beck was already en route to Kansas City, according to manager Tony Vitello. "It’s getting looked at by our people," Vitello said. "And we’ll go from there."