Giants Break Another Bullpen Arm: Keaton Winn Hits IL With Elbow Neuritis

The San Francisco Giants' bullpen is officially a hazard zone. Keaton Winn is heading to the injured list with elbow neuritis, adding another arm to a medical ward that is starting to look like a triage tent.

Manager Tony Vitello leaned on Winn heavily this season, and the bill just came due. After pitching three consecutive days and blowing a save against the Washington Nationals, Winn's elbow finally barked.

"Manager Tony Vitello said Winn felt some elbow soreness when he played catch on Saturday and underwent an MRI exam."

Winn has been an absolute workhorse, logging a 3.23 ERA over 30 2/3 innings across 29 appearances. That ties him for the team lead in appearances alongside Caleb Kilian and Matt Gage.

But when you ride a guy who missed all of 2021 with Tommy John surgery and had an ulnar nerve transposition in 2024, you are playing with fire.

Treating a reliever with that kind of surgical history like a rented mule is a choice. It is the managerial equivalent of taking a car with a rebuilt transmission to a drag race and acting surprised when it starts smoking at the starting line.

For anyone looking at the Giants' upcoming series against the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox, this is a massive red flag for the late innings. San Francisco just dropped back-to-back games to Cleveland, including a brutal 1-0 shutout, and now they have to navigate the late frames without one of their most reliable high-leverage options.

Vitello is hoping a handful of days off will serve as a reset, but elbow neuritis is rarely a quick fix for a guy with this much scar tissue. Expect the Giants to scramble for bullpen depth before things get completely out of hand in Boston this weekend.