SF Giants’ lefty Matt Gage lands on injured list with left elbow strain

DENVER — Matt Gage does not yet know his fate.

Gage is scheduled for an MRI on Monday after being placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with a left elbow sprain on Saturday. He is hoping for the best, but bracing for the worst. Of one thing, he is certain.

“I left it all out there. That’s what I’ve always told myself,” Gage said. “If it is, it is. I did what I could do and I felt it all out there. I gave it all for Tony and the guys. I’m okay with that.”

With Gage landing on the injured list, right-hander Spencer Bivens has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. For Bivens, who had a 4.32 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, this marks his first time in the majors this season.

The 33-year-old’s elbow had been bothering him for about two weeks when he stepped on the mound in the bottom of the fourth on Friday night against the Colorado Rockies.

“[Bullpen coach] Jesse [Chavez] could see it playing catch, and we were just talking about just trying to get to the break,” Gage said. “That was it: Just get to the All-Star break.”

The Giants were trailing by five runs after Logan Webb pitched just three innings, and Gage’s goal was to get six outs. His first 13 pitches felt fine, but the latter 38 did not. He allowed six earned runs and recorded just four outs, the nadir of his night being when he allowed a grand slam to the Rockies’ Jake McCarthy.

Gage’s velocity noticeably declined towards the tail end of his outing. His last four-seam fastball clocked in at 89.7 mph, his slowest heater of the night. It wasn’t until after his outing ended that Gage alerted the training staff. His 51 pitches against the Rockies were the most he’s ever thrown in a major league game.

“I was just trying to do what I could to help the team out,” Gage said. “The last 15 pitches, I felt it on every throw.”

Gage’s last appearance before Friday was June 26 against the Athletics. Gage had missed about two weeks due to right knee inflammation, and Vitello said the left-hander hadn’t looked the same since returning. Before his right knee injury, Gage had a 2.63 ERA (4.78 FIP) over 24 innings.

“Communication is always vital,” Vitello said when asked if he wants his relievers to be more transparent about how they’re feeling. “There’s a difference between being tough and being stubborn a little bit. Gager had verbalized a little bit that he hadn’t been in the best spot the last couple of weeks, so I don’t think things improved for him at all.”

Right-hander Keaton Winn sustained a right elbow strain in mid-June after pitching three days in a row for the first time in his career. At the time Winn landed on the injured list, Vitello noted Winn didn’t communicate that he was unavailable to pitch in the third straight game.

“It is a fine line. We’ve talked about it with guys that want to push it and be out there all the time,” Vitello said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily swallowing your pride, but I think being a little bit strategic or just smart about looking out for yourself just as much as you’re looking out for the team. And at the end of the day, when guys are done playing, you guys know it, the fans know it, the coaches, the players know who the team guys are.”