Injuries, Injuries, Injuries...And It's Only Spring Training!

The Giants are only three games into Spring Training and yet injuries are already an issues. Here's a rundown of guys who are going through some injury issues at this time:

• Freddy Sanchez is recovering from surgery on his knee and is expected to miss Opening Day and perhaps begin the year on the Disabled List. (Sanchez signed a two-year, $12-million dollar contract this off-season).
• Mark Derosa still hasn't played a game yet as he continues to recover from wrist surgery last October. He expects to take batting practice sometime this weekend. (Derosa signed a two-year, $12-million dollar this off-season as well).
• Travis Ishikawa is recovering from a torn ligament in his foot that has put him in a boot all week. He suffered the foot injury while slipping down some stairs, apparently. However, Ishikawa has taken grounders and hit some soft toss, but he is still day-to-day in terms of being game-ready.
• After a solid Spring Training debut where he hit two doubles, Emmanuel Burriss re-injured his foot against the Seattle Mariners. Burriss fractured his foot last season, but thankfully, there were no fractures this time around. How this affects his 2010 season and his speed (his most valuable asset) is yet to be determined. Let's hope it doesn't affect him like Fred Lewis' foot problems sapped his speed in 2009. (Update: Andrew Baggarly reports via Twitter that Burriss actually re-fractured his foot and will be in a boot for four weeks. Seriously, what is with Giants second baseman and injuries? First Frandsen in 2008, now Burriss? I would be asking for a trade if I were Matt Downs. Some bad Karma going on. Ghost of Robby Thompson, perhaps?)

So, four injuries hit four players who are needed/expected to make an impact in 2010. The one I feel the most for is Burriss, mainly because his speed is such a strength of his (in fact, his only strength considering how much he dropped defensively last season) and I wonder if it this foot injury is going to linger with him like Lewis' foot surgery did in 2009 (where he went from 21 stolen bases in 2008 to eight stolen bases in 2009).

Ishikawa I'm also concerned about, but from what it sounds like, it could be serious but it could also be minor as well. We'll need more time to determine whether or not it will truly have an effect on him in 2010 (and if it does, then...well...we might have some problems defensively at first base without our best defensive infielder in Ishikawa).

As for Derosa and Sanchez? Well...it's frustrating. $24 million for damaged goods (in the grand scheme of things it certainly could be worse). Oh well, let's hope that they can get healthy soon so they can make those contracts worth it. After all, it's only Spring Training and the Giants are 3-0 going into today (but like I said...it's only Spring Training).