SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 25: Starting pitcher Adrian Houser #12 of the San Francisco Giants leaves the field in the top of the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on August 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) Getty
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 25: Adrian Houser #12 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the top of the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park on August 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) Getty
For the second night in a row, the San Francisco Giants lost a starting pitcher to injury. After striking out Matt McLain , Adrian Houser shook his arm. That prompted a visit from trainers and manager Tony Vitello, who pulled the veteran starter from the game.
After the game, Vitello told NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic that Houser felt tightness in his right forearm. The right-hander is scheduled for an MRI.
Houser also spoke to Pavlovic concerning his injury. The veteran starter likened the situation to when he suffered a flexor strain when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022. The injury caused the right-hander to miss nearly two months.
A similar timeline spells the end of his 2026 season, but shouldn't affect his offseason too much.
The Giants signed Adrian Houser to a two-year, $22 million deal as a veteran innings-eater for their rotation. In 26 appearances, including 16 starts, the right-hander has a 4.02 ERA and a 16.0% strikeout rate across 109.2 innings for San Francisco.
GettyGiants starter Adrian Houser leaves the field after suffering an injury against the Cincinnati Reds . (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Giants' rotation concerns multiplied when Adrian Houser just lasted 1.2 innings. The bullpen picked up the slack, recording the final 22 outs to defeat the Reds 3-1.
Houser's injury comes on the heels of the Carson Whisenhunt injury news . The left-hander suffered an elbow injury in the third inning of their previous game against the Reds .
Whisenhunt was placed on the 15-day injured list, with Spencer Bivens coming up from Triple-A Sacramento to provide some coverage. Manager Tony Vitello told Pavlovic that the diagnosis is a torn UCL after he underwent imaging of his left elbow.
With Whisenhunt and Houser battling injuries, the team will need to find two starting pitchers just to finish the season out.
GettyAdrian Houser's first season in San Francisco is likely over after suffering an elbow injury. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The Giants will likely be without Adrian Houser for the rest of the season, even in the best-case scenario. They are 54-78 on the season after defeating the Reds, so there isn't a rush to have him ready.
Houser's MRI should determine the extent of the injury. The Giants will hope that surgery isn't required, as it could impact his offseason and availability for Spring Training.
As for potential replacements, the club is down two starters. Matt Wilkinson is the only starting pitcher on the 40-man roster in Triple-A Sacramento.
Wilkinson can only be recalled as the corresponding move to a pitcher being placed on the injured list. So he could only be added to the rotation if he is replacing Houser.
However, they can open up a roster spot by moving Whisenhunt to the 60-day injured list.
Their rotation options in Triple-A include Joe Whitman, Cesar Perdomo , Seth Lonsway, and John Michael Bertrand . All four pitchers are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter, so the Giants could get ahead of a potential 40-man roster decision by promoting any one of them.
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