San Francisco (AFP) – San Francisco Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland faces up to two months on the sidelines with a broken right hand after punching a door, local media reported on Tuesday.
Strickland smashed his hand into a door on Monday after failing to close out victory against the Miami Marlins as the Giants slipped to a 5-4 loss.
X-rays later revealed he had suffered a fractured metacarpal. The 29-year-old underwent surgery to repair the damage on Tuesday, the team said.
“It was a tough loss, a gut-wrenching loss, and he felt responsible for it, and he didn’t think before he acted,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Strickland’s injury deprives the Giants of their main closer. He had made 13 of 17 saves, and saw a two-month streak end last week during another defeat to Miami.
“I’m disappointed. Trust me,” Bochy told reporters. “I’m crushed. … He really grew as a pitcher and handled his emotions well in tough situations, which you have to do.
“You have to be able to control you emotions. That’s part of being a closer. You have to have emotional command. He let his emotions get the better of him.”
Strickland has shown flashes of temper before, last year triggering a mass brawl after plunking Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper with a 98-mph (158 km/h) fastball.
Strickland was later suspended for six games for the incident.
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