SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants will be without their starting third baseman on Opening Day, as the club announced that Evan Longoria will undergo surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday to repair a ligament in his right index finger.
Longoria’s prognosis will be determined after the procedure, which will be performed by Dr. Steven Shin, but the expectation is his finger will be immobilized for at least 10 days post-surgery, ruling out the 36-year-old veteran for the Giants’ 2022 opener against the Marlins at Oracle Park on April 8.
Longoria had yet to appear in a Cactus League game this spring, but the Giants had expressed confidence that he would be ready to go for the start of the regular season, especially since he had been taking at-bats during live batting practice at Scottsdale Stadium. San Francisco had been counting on having Longoria’s right-handed bat in the middle of the order this year, particularly after losing Buster Posey, Kris Bryant and Donovan Solano over the offseason.
With Longoria out, the Giants could turn to Wilmer Flores, Mauricio Dubón, Thairo Estrada and Jason Vosler to help fill their hole at third base. Tommy La Stella is another option, though his status for Opening Day is questionable since he’s recovering from offseason Achilles surgery. Non-roster invitee Alex Blandino and utility man Luke Williams, who was acquired from the Phillies on Sunday, could also factor in the third-base mix.
Longoria batted .261 with an .833 OPS and 13 home runs last year, though a left shoulder injury limited him to just 81 games. He is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, as he has a $13 million club option for 2023.