Giants place Buster Posey on 7-day DL

The Giants have placed catcher Buster Posey on the 7-day disabled list and recalled Tom Federowicz, according to a team announcement.

Posey was hit in the back of the head with a fastball from Diamondbacks pitcher Taijuan Walker on Monday and is considered to possibly have a concussion. The Giants are exercising caution in case Posey has any symptoms that show after the immediate injury. It’s a good idea, especially for a catcher who faces a lot of wear and tear and opportunity for additional head injuries, to take time before allowing his return. This is a good use for MLB’s 7-day disabled list, where a player who may not be showing symptoms, can be monitored and taken out of action without the risk of missing too many games.

Albeit a small sample size, Posey has anchored the Giants’ lineup this season, slashing a stellar .333/.481/.571 with a home run in 21 at bats this season. While this is a little better than normal, this kind of production is not that different than Posey’s usual offensive numbers. He is a career .307/.373/.476 hitter over parts of nine seasons with the Giants.

The majority of the time Posey misses at catcher should be taken up by veterans Nick Hundley and Tim Federowicz, who had his contract purchased when Posey was placed on the disabled list. Both represent a significant downgrade to Posey, so a full recovery and a quick return for Posey will be an important piece of the puzzle if the Giants are to compete in the NL West with the Dodgers.