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Giants Playoff Hopes Delivered Final Blow With Matt Chapman Injury

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 11:09 AM ET

The last few weeks have been a disaster for the San Francisco Giants, who went from one of the pleasant surprises in the MLB as a playoff contender to limping toward the end of the season, on the outside looking in of the playoff picture.

When the team acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, excitement and optimism were high. The Giants were 10 games over .500 when he suited up for the first time in their creme uniform. Since that point, nothing has gone according to plan.

San Francisco is now four games under the .500 mark. Their performance has been near the bottom of the league offensively despite adding one of the best sluggers in the game to its lineup. They just endured a seven-game losing streak and one of the worst stretches at home in franchise history.

Their playoff hopes have been dwindling by the day. But the final blow to those chances came near the end of last week. It was announced that their star third baseman, Matt Chapman, would be heading back to the injured list because of right-hand inflammation.

He suffered a badly sprained right hand earlier in the campaign, playing on June 8 and then not being back in the lineup until July 5. The injury had not yet fully healed, which meant playing through discomfort and pain for the time being. Six weeks later, with the team’s season spiraling down the drain, the white flag was essentially waved.

Giants delivered blow placing Matt Chapman on IL

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“Look, he’s a pretty tough guy,” manager Bob Melvin said, via Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (subscription required). “During the course of the season, you’re gonna play through some stuff. I think some days (were) probably worse than others. We’ve got to the point where we needed to take a look at it.”

Chapman was placed back on the injured list on Friday and was set for an MRI. Given the current state of the team, it would not be a surprise if the veteran third baseman is held out for the remainder of the campaign. There is little incentive to rush him back a second time with the team no longer looking like a viable playoff contender.

He is a big part of the team’s long-term plans, under contract for five more years. Buster Posey is aggressive and wants the team to start winning as soon as possible. But he has shown the ability to pivot and adjust his game plan. He did it ahead of the MLB trade deadline, selling a few pieces to bolster the farm system with things going awry at the Major League level.

This is another admission to the plans changing. Chapman’s struggles can likely be attributed to the injured hand. Not having him in the lineup is a huge blow. Even with his numbers down at the plate, he remains one of the elite defenders at third base, making an impact with his glove.

Matt Chapman's lingering hand injury has sent the #SFGiants third baseman back to the injured list:https://t.co/SfjywyuFTX pic.twitter.com/SuKnYSWtbB
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) August 16, 2025

The veteran deserves a lot of credit for showing the level of commitment to the team that he did. He played 31 consecutive games for the team prior to being given a day off last Wednesday and all but three defensive innings at the hot corner since coming off the injured list the first time around. His production was suffering, whether it was being worn down from playing or the injury, but something had to be done.

San Francisco decided sitting him out and re-evaluating his hand was the right course of action, essentially signaling the end of their season when it comes to making a run at the playoffs.