San Francisco Giants outfielder Harrison Bader will not return this season after a scooter accident further injured the same foot.
The San Francisco Giants will finish the 2026 season without center fielder Harrison Bader, whose recovery from plantar fasciitis took an unexpected turn following a scooter accident.
Bader had already been sidelined since late May with an injury to his left foot, but the club announced that he suffered additional damage to the same foot in a scooter accident over the weekend. The setback officially ends any chance of the veteran returning before the season concludes.
Manager Tony Vitello said Bader was already unlikely to play again this year because of plantar fasciitis. The accident further complicated his rehab, though the organization has not disclosed the nature or severity of the new injury.
Medical evaluation continues
Bader recently traveled to Indianapolis to be evaluated by foot and ankle specialist Dr. David Porter as part of his recovery from plantar fasciitis. After the accident, he returned to San Francisco for additional testing with team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki.
The Giants are continuing to evaluate the injury, including MRI imaging, while the front office works to gather more information surrounding the incident. Vitello indicated that the club is still sorting through the details and did not provide additional specifics regarding the accident itself.
The latest setback comes at an unfortunate time for both Bader and the Giants as the veteran had been working toward returning from one of the more persistent foot injuries in baseball.
Difficult first season in San Francisco
Bader signed a two-year deal with the Giants before the 2026 season, but injuries prevented him from making a consistent impact.
A left hamstring injury surfaced near the end of Spring Training and eventually forced him onto the Injured List in April. He returned after roughly a month but appeared in only 15 additional games before plantar fasciitis sidelined him again at the end of May.
The 32-year-old ultimately appeared in just 30 games for San Francisco, batting .170 with five home runs and a .557 OPS.
While his season had already been in jeopardy because of the lingering foot injury, the scooter accident removed any remaining possibility of a late-season comeback. Instead, Bader will now turn his focus toward a full offseason recovery with the hope of entering 2027 healthy after a frustrating, injury-filled first year with the Giants.
With the Giants firmly out of postseason discussion, taking Bader off the lineup for the rest of this season is the right call at this time.
