Giants' Brandon Belt Placed on IL with Thumb Injury; Reportedly Out at Least 4 Weeks

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is heading to the injured list with a fractured left thumb, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. 

He's reportedly looking at a four-week stint on IL:

Belt, 33, suffered the injury on Sunday after being hit by a Lucas Gilbreath fastball while he squared around to bunt. 

It's a major loss for the Giants, who have the best record in baseball and are title contenders. He leads the team with a career-high 29 homers and a .975 OPS, adding 59 RBI and 65 runs.

It's been a career year for the one-time All-Star and two-time champion, helping to fuel San Francisco's surprising run to the top of the NL West. Being without him for the majority, if not the entirety, of the postseason is a huge blow. 

As for replacing Belt in the lineup, Darin Ruf is a possibility if he's able to come off the injured list himself after suffering a strained oblique last week. Getting Ruf back, who has hit 15 homers this year in a platoon role, would help alleviate the loss of Belt's bat in the lineup. 

If Ruf remains unable to go, however, Wilmer Flores is another option for the Giants at first base. Regardless, the team is going to be without its most dangerous power hitter for about a month.