Angel Pagan Injury: Updates on Giants OF's Finger and Return

San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan will not start Tuesday night’s game against the San Diego Padres thanks to a laceration in his middle finger.

Continue for updates.

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Pagan Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup

Tuesday, May 5

The team’s official Twitter account passed along the news Tuesday. Pagan was originally slated to play center and bat third, and Gregor Blanco was forced to move from right field to center to cover for Pagan. Justin Maxwell took over right field.

Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area shared some of the details behind the injury:

Pagan leads the Giants in batting average in the early going at .350, although he does not have a home run in his first 103 at-bats. He is one of the most consistent hitters in the lineup and covers plenty of ground in the outfield with his formidable speed, so the team can ill afford to lose his presence for too long.

Fortunately, he shouldn’t miss much time with a laceration, especially since it is on his non-throwing hand. An injury like that is more likely to linger for an outfielder if the ball rubs against it every time he makes a throw.

The fact that he was in the original lineup also suggests he shouldn't miss much time.

If Pagan is forced to miss a few games, Maxwell and Blanco will likely be asked to pick up the slack.

Blanco is versatile enough to play anywhere in the outfield, which makes covering for an injury much easier. What’s more, Maxwell brings some pop to the dish (three home runs in his first 61 at-bats this year).

The Giants need Pagan in the middle of the order this year if they plan on defending their World Series crown, but they have the pieces to cover for a short-term absence.