San Francisco Giants star Harrison Bader has been ruled out for the remainder of the season following a bizarre late-night scooter crash involving a fire engine.
The 32-year-old outfielder, who signed a two-year, $20million contract with the Giants in the recent offseason, was already on the injured list recovering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot when the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday.
According to local reports, Bader was riding an electric scooter in San Francisco’s Marina district around 1.50am when he crashed into the back of a firetruck.
The wheel of the fire engine then reportedly ran over Bader’s foot, ‘causing major injury.’ A Giants statement confirmed that his plantar fasciitis was ‘complicated’ by the crash and that the ‘impact of the injury changed the nature of his evaluation.’
Meanwhile, multiple witnesses claimed that the MLB veteran had been seen drinking at several bars across the city in the hours leading up to his crash.
Giants manager Tony Vitello confirmed on Thursday that Bader’s first year in San Francisco is effectively over as medical staff evaluate the full extent of the damage.
San Francisco Giants star Harrison Bader has been ruled out for the remainder of the season following a bizarre late-night scooter crash involving a fire engine
The 32-year-old outfielder – who signed a two-year, $20million contract with the Giants in the recent offseason – was already on the injured list recovering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot
‘I think that would have been a longshot to begin with,’ Vitello said regarding a potential return this season. ‘Obviously he’s not better than he was prior to that.
‘It’s going to delay him. There’s a chance it could delay the recovery process for him.’
Bader, who has not played a game since May 29, was scheduled to fly to Indianapolis on Monday to consult a specialist for his initial injury but the accident forced the team to alter his evaluation and order fresh MRI scans.
Ironically, while at the University of Florida back in 2014, Bader was allegedly inebriated when he crashed a scooter into a parked car.
As a result, the Florida Gators handed him a 19-game suspension to start the season.
When asked if Bader could face internal disciplinary action for his latest scooter crash, Vitello left the door open for front-office intervention.
‘I don’t know the circumstances. Depending on what those are, I wouldn’t rule any of that out,’ Vitello admitted. ‘The front office is sorting through all that other stuff.’
The $10 million-a-year star had endured a miserable debut campaign in the Bay Area prior to the crash, hitting a career-low .170, with five home runs, across 30 games.
