SAN DIEGO -- Five days after returning from the injured list, Giants right-hander Landen Roupp is suddenly dealing with another troubling health concern.
Roupp was carted off the field after suffering a left knee sprain in the bottom of the third inning of the Giants’ 8-1 loss to the Padres on Wednesday night at Petco Park.
Roupp went down hard upon being hit on the right leg by Ramón Laureano’s 95.7 mph comebacker, with his left knee appearing to buckle when he tried to push off the mound and field the ball. Roupp immediately grabbed his tweaked knee and then crumpled to the ground again when he briefly tried to get back on his feet.
“The ball hit him in the back of the leg, I think,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It was when he caught himself and then when he had to go get the ball again. I don’t know if he hyperextended it. Obviously, it was scary for a second.”
Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner and Melvin quickly jogged out to the mound to check on Roupp, who sat on the grass for several minutes while waiting for the medical cart to arrive. Groeschner and fellow team trainer Anthony Reyes helped Roupp get to his feet, but the 26-year-old hurler managed to limp to the cart and received applause from the Petco Park crowd as he was driven off the field.
“It’s such an unfortunate moment, especially for him, obviously, but for the team, too,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “He’s been doing really good for us all year long. He just came back, and now this happened. It’s really sad.”
Roupp, who was unavailable after the game, will fly back to San Francisco and undergo an MRI exam on Thursday. The Giants will know more about the extent of the injury once they get the results back, but Melvin said he expects Roupp to be placed back on the IL.
Left-hander Joey Lucchesi entered the game to replace Roupp, though he promptly surrendered Gavin Sheets’ second homer of the night, a two-run blast that extended San Diego’s lead to 6-0. Roupp was charged with five runs over 2 1/3 innings in his second start since missing 19 games with right elbow inflammation.
Prior to going down with the elbow injury, Roupp had emerged as the Giants’ No. 3 starter behind All-Stars Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. The North Carolina native has logged a 3.80 ERA over a career-high 106 2/3 innings in 22 starts for San Francisco this year.
With Roupp potentially facing another extended absence, the Giants could consider plugging multi-inning reliever Carson Seymour into their rotation or promoting another young starter from Triple-A Sacramento.
Blade Tidwell, who was acquired from the Mets as part of the Tyler Rogers trade last month, appeared to be on the verge of earning his first callup with the Giants after recording a 1.69 ERA over his first three appearances for the River Cats, but he was shut down after experiencing some shoulder discomfort while throwing his most recent bullpen session. The 24-year-old right-hander is also expected to undergo an MRI exam on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
Given Tidwell’s uncertain status, the Giants’ next best rotation options at Sacramento are likely Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt (the Giants’ No. 7 prospect per MLB Pipeline) or Trevor McDonald (No. 19), all of whom are already on the 40-man roster.
Birdsong, 23, posted a 4.80 ERA over 21 appearances (10 starts) for San Francisco this year before he was sent to the Minors to iron out his command issues on July 22. Still, Birdsong may have some work to do, as he issued five walks over three innings in another shaky outing on Wednesday and is sporting a 5.59 ERA in his first five starts for the River Cats.
Whisenhunt, 24, logged a 5.02 ERA in his first three starts for the Giants before he was optioned to clear a roster spot for Roupp last week. The promising left-hander last pitched on Sunday, when he struck out six and gave up two runs over 5 1/3 innings for Sacramento.
McDonald, 24, has a 5.25 ERA over 25 appearances (20 starts) for Sacramento in 2025, but he’s been throwing the ball well in recent weeks, fashioning a 2.66 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 23 2/3 innings across his last four outings. He made his Major League debut in the Giants’ 2024 regular-season finale, working three scoreless relief innings against the Cardinals at Oracle Park.
“We’ve seen some guys, so we’re kind of filtering through it right now,” Melvin said.