Brandon Belt not ruled out for postseason despite broken thumb

The San Francisco Giants suffered a terrible break — literally — on Sunday regarding one of their top players.

Brandon Belt left Sunday’s win over the Colorado Rockies due to an injury after being hit by a pitch on the hand while squaring around to bunt.

Here is the hit by pitch that resulted in a fractured thumb for Brandon Belt pic.twitter.com/V5wwWUHi2l

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 28, 2021

The news on Belt’s injury status was released on Monday. The slugger suffered a fractured thumb, which puts his postseason availability in question.

For now, Giants reporter Andrew Baggarly says Belt has not been ruled out for the postseason.

There will be more on Brandon Belt tomorrow from the Giants, but from what I understand, there's a pretty big range in his recovery estimates and postseason play isn't out of the question. He'll go on the IL for the remainder of the season, obviously.

— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) September 28, 2021

That’s at least a glimmer of hope for the Giants.

Belt, 33, has named himself the de facto team captain. Not only has he inspired his team as a leader, but he has also carried them through his play. Belt has 29 home runs in 97 games this season and a career high .597 slugging percentage. His .975 OPS is the best on the team.