Buster Posey Injury: Long-Term Impact for the San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants star catcher Buster Posey is likely out for the remainder of the season with a fractured bone in his left leg.

Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins collided with Posey while trying to score on a sacrifice fly. It was a clean play on Cousins’ part, but did not end favorably for the Giants.

The Giants are in first place in the NL West, but this is the sort of crushing blow that can kill a team’s morale. Still, the Giants have a talented roster even without Posey.

Here are five ways this injury will impact the Giants long-term.

5. Overcome Initial Shock

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 22: Catcher Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants heads to the dugout after getting out of an inning against the Oakland A's at AT&T Park on May 22, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 5-4 in 11 innings. (Ph

Whenever a team loses one of its best players to injury, there is a period of initial shock.

However, the Giants will have to show quickly that they can win games without Buster Posey.

Posey was hitting .284 with four home runs and 21 RBI this season. Though these numbers far from rivaled his incredible rookie campaign, Posey was just starting to find his stroke.

Rather than lament about the loss of their catcher, the Giants have to dig deep to show that one player doesn’t make the team.

No one on the Giants has put up great numbers this season, but they have been able to win with their good pitching and clutch hitting.

If the Giants can put up a few quick wins following Posey’s absence, the team will regain the confidence it has had with Posey in the lineup.

4. Eli Whiteside Behind the Dish

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: Eli Whiteside #22 of the San Francisco Giants poses for a portrait during media photo day at Scottsdale Stadium on February 23, 2011 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Eli Whiteside will be the immediate successor to Buster Posey as the Giants catcher.

Whiteside has seen very limited action this season, since Posey caught virtually every day.

He’s hitting just .200 on the year, but will be expected to be a regular contributor now that Posey is out of the lineup.

The Giants called up veteran backstop Chris Stewart to provide catching depth, but the job appears to be Whiteside’s to lose.

The Giants may look into acquiring a catcher if Whiteside doesn’t pan out.

Ryan Doumit of the Pittsburgh Pirates will likely be available, but his defense is suspect at best. He has swung the bat decently, however, with a .272 BA, four HR and 15 RBI.

3. New Cleanup Hitter

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 24: Aubrey Huff #17 of the San Francisco Giants in action against the Atlanta Braves at AT&T Park on April 24, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Aubrey Huff will slide into the cleanup spot in the Giants batting order with Buster Posey on the shelf.

Huff had a good offensive year last year with the Giants, but he’s only managed a .220 BA this season.

With Mike Fontenot heading to the disabled list as well, Freddy Sanchez will hit third for the time being.

The Giants still have a versatile roster, with players who can play a variety of positions and hit in multiple spots in the lineup.

The team called Brandon Belt back up in hopes that he will adjust better to Major League pitching. Belt is touted as the best minor league hitting prospect, but struggled in his first stint with the big club.

Even without Posey, the Giants will still run out a balanced offensive attack each day.

2. Giants Still in First Place

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 21: Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Oakland Athletics during an MLB game at AT&T Park on May 21, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

The Giants have a 2.5 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks coming into action today.

Luckily for the Giants, the NL West is one of the weaker divisions in the league so far.

The Giants still have the best starting pitching in the division, and if the offense can develop consistency, San Francisco should still be considered the favorites to win the division.

The Diamondbacks may fade, and the Colorado Rockies have been very inconsistent.

Though losing Buster Posey hurts, it does not necessarily mean the Giants will miss the postseason.

1. First Base in Posey's Future

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SAN FRANCISCO - MAY 29: Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants plays first base in his first game of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park on May 29, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

When Buster Posey does return hopefully next season, he will likely resume his role behind the plate.

However, the Giants may consider moving him to first base at some point in the relatively near future.

While he’s a good defensive catcher, his bat is his most valuable asset. San Francisco could get more out of Posey’s bat if he avoided the wear and tear of catching.

Moving good young hitting catchers to another position may start becoming the norm to keep them healthy and increase their careers.

The Minnesota Twins may ponder the idea of moving Joe Mauer out from behind the plate at some point. The Washington Nationals have already made this switch with Bryce Harper.

Posey has played 32 career games at first base, so this position change likely would not be a major transition.