SF Giants’ Chapman talks season-ending surgery, playing through injury, next steps

SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Chapman can take solace in finally having found a solution — even if his season is over.

Chapman won’t play another game this year after undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this week, but the 33-year-old has finally addressed an ailment that’s bothered him for effectively the whole season.

“It sucks that it had to happen like this,” Chapman said. “I don’t want to ever miss time, but to get it fixed and get it right so I can come back and help this team next year was the best decision.”

“It’s good to have him around, too,” said manager Tony Vitello. “It’s nice he can get active relatively quickly after the surgery. Wasn’t shy about showing everybody his battle wounds. It looks rough and it looks ugly, but the fact he’s kind of moving around is a positive right now. … It’s good to have clarity.”

Chapman explained at his locker on Saturday morning that he ripped his core muscle off his pubic bone on both sides and that they had to be reattached during surgery. He estimates his recovery will be around 8-to-12 weeks and anticipates having a fully healthy offseason.

The third baseman landed on the injured list on July 1, but he had been dealing with the ailment since April. Chapman said he originally sustained the injury during the Giants’ series against the Reds in Cincinnati (April 14-16). From there, the injury got progressively worse.

Chapman felt discomfort every day but found ways to get around it and play through the pain. On June 30, Chapman left the Giants’ game against the Diamondbacks early after fielding a chopper, describing that play as “the last straw.”

“I think it got progressively worse probably every day, but it was never at a point where I wanted to come out,” Chapman said. “I just figured I could play through it and it was something that was just really tight and sore. Then it turns out that obviously it wasn’t and had to get it fixed.”

Chapman went through the rehab process and hoped to return when the Giants visited the Padres in San Diego two weeks ago, but didn’t return as planned due to lingering soreness while running. Following an evaluation with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia on Monday, Chapman underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday, then returned to San Francisco.

“Talking to the doctor, he told me that a lot of people that get this fixed, it decreases your chances of injuries in the future,” Chapman said. “It makes you feel stronger in your whole body, your legs, your core, because everything stems from the center of your body. This is pretty much the exact middle of your body, and when that’s unstable, you’re not going to be able to use your legs properly or use your core. That’s a huge part of hitting.”

Chapman, who hit .235 with seven homers and a .692 OPS, believes he should’ve played better regardless of the injury, but said the injury explains why he was inconsistent. Not only were his power numbers down, but he also endured a 53-game stretch without hitting a homer, the longest homerless drought of his career.

“Offensively, I wasn’t able to hold. I’d pick up my front foot and feel like I was drifting forward. … I think subconsciously, some things took over and I wasn’t able to execute the way that I wanted to. But I think I did show in parts of the season that it’s all still in there; I just have to be more consistent with it,” Chapman said.

While Chapman’s offense suffered, he still provided Gold Glove-caliber defense at the hot corner. Chapman’s +16 defensive runs saved are still the most among all third basemen by a wide margin, and his +4 outs above average are also tied for the fourth-most in the majors. Despite those excellent numbers, Chapman described his defense as inconsistent, citing his increase in errors.

San Francisco’s roster underwent significant changes during Chapman’s time on the injured list, but Chapman, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames all remained with the Giants following the deadline. President of baseball operations Buster Posey said the team is “excited” that all three are still with the organization, and for the Giants to be competitive next season, they’ll need a healthy Chapman to turn in another productive season.

“We have big goals for next season,” Chapman said. “I know Buster [Posey] and the front office do, and I’ll be ready to be part of that.”

Adames again out of lineup

Shortstop Willy Adames wasn’t in Saturday’s starting lineup against the Colorado Rockies, the second straight game he’s missed after leaving Wednesday’s game with a back ailment.

The Giants announced on Friday that Adames had a mild low back strain and listed him as day-to-day, but Vitello said on Saturday there will “probably be a little bit more of a transition from the day-to-day status to a little bit of a plan to get him to where we’re not two steps forward, one step back.”

With the Giants off on Monday, it appears likely that Adames will also sit out on Sunday as well to stack together off days for Adames.