After Ryan Vogelsong fractured his pitching hand on Monday night, the San Francisco Giants are faced with the decision of who will replace him in the starting rotation.
Despite the suddenness of the injury, it is likely that the leading candidates to fill Vogelsong’s spot have already been placed under the microscope.
The right-hander’s early-season struggles (1-4, 7.19 ERA in 9 starts) have been well-documented, and manager Bruce Bochy had recently broached the topic of skipping Vogelsong’s turn in the rotation.
So now that the unfortunate injury has forced the Giants’ hand, who is most likely to become the team’s new fifth starter?
Since Vogelsong is expected to miss only 6-8 weeks, the replacement almost certainly will come from within the organization.
*All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and MiLB.com and current through May 20.