San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner hurt himself in a dirt biking accident on Thursday in Denver. Bumgarner suffered bruised ribs and a left shoulder sprain and was placed on the disabled list, the Giants announced Friday.
The Giants had an off day Thursday before beginning a four-game set against Colorado. Bumgarner used the free time to dirt bike in the Denver area. He hit a wet spot and went down, according to Giants manager Bruce Bochy.
“I saw Madison before I came to the park," said Bochy, who was managing his first game Friday since undergoing a minor heart surgery after experiencing an arial flutter. "I went by his room and talked to him. He was on the dirt bike yesterday on his day off. Unfortunately, he had an accident. He’s a young guy, who like a lot of us, thought he’s invincible. He was just having some fun that day."
Bochy said that Bumgarner drove himself back to the team hotel following the accident. Bumgarner contacted the team's medical staff upon arriving and underwent an X-ray and MRI.
The Giants said Bumgarner was released from the hospital and is resting at the team hotel. He will be reevaluated next week. There's no timetable for his return, but Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that Bumgarner could miss anywhere between six to eight weeks.
Bumgarner has made four starts this year. He has a 3.00 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.
This is the first time in Bumgarner's nine-year MLB career he's been placed on the disabled list.
“If I was there, sure, I wouldn’t have let him on that bike," Bochy said. "I’m sure looking at it now Madison wished he wouldn't have gotten on it. He was very remorseful talking to him. Unfortunately, an accident happened.”
The Rockies faced Bumgarner earlier this month and got a 3-1 win. Colorado lost its own ace, Jon Gray, in that April 13 game. Gray left in the fourth inning with what was later diagnosed as a stress fracture in his foot.
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