SAN FRANCISCO—Travis Ishikawa, expected to serve as a utility outfielder and first baseman for the San Francisco Giants this season, will spend opening day on the disabled list.
Per Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Ishikawa is rehabilitating his injured back and has begun taking practice swings off of a tee. The exact timetable for Ishikawa’s return is unknown. However, he is expected to miss at least the first two weeks of the season.
Ishikawa is best known for his game-winning home run in the 2014 National League Championship Series, a blast that propelled the Giants to their eventual World Series title.
Without Ishikawa, there was space on the team’s opening day roster for a pitcher or utility infielder. In Ishikawa’s stead, infielder Matt Duffy survived roster cuts and will be with the team today when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
Ishikawa struggled through Spring Training, batting just .191 and striking out 14 times during Cactus League play, a decline in productivity that could very well be attributed to an ailing back.
