Buster Posey injured by a foul to hide

SAN FRANCISCO – Giants wide receiver Buster Posey left Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers after catching a foul directly on his mask.

Posey, 34, visibly winced after being hit head-on by a stick hit from Dodgers center fielder AJ Pollock early in the second inning at Oracle Park. Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani immediately fell to his knees when he saw Posey take the direct hit, causing paint chips to fly off his catcher’s mask.

Posey stayed in the game initially, but backup wide receiver Curt Casali replaced him behind the plate early in the fourth. The Giants did not immediately announce the reason for Posey’s departure, so it’s unclear whether he went into concussion protocol.

Posey has been placed on the concussion list twice, most recently in May 2019, when he also removed a blow from his mask during a game in Cincinnati. The other case was in April 2017, when he was hit in the helmet by a Taijuan Walker’s fastball during the San Francisco home opener. He returned to the field after the seven day deadline each time.