Giants Reliever to Undergo Surgery for Blood Clot After Going on Injured List

José Buttó will have a procedure to remove a blood clot from his pitching arm after being placed on the 15-day IL.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 11:23pm by Ben Kaplan

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a baseball pitcher's throwing motion broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape, conveying the physical demands and potential for injury in the sport.A cubist interpretation of a Giants reliever's pitching motion highlights the physical strain and fragility of the sport.San Francisco Today

The San Francisco Giants announced that relief pitcher José Buttó will undergo a procedure to remove a blood clot from his pitching arm after being placed on the 15-day injured list. Buttó left a game on Wednesday with right arm tightness, and follow-up testing revealed the blood clot. He had struggled with a 22.50 ERA in three appearances this season before the injury.

Why it matters

Buttó was a key part of the Giants' bullpen last season after being acquired in a trade, so his absence could be a significant blow. The Giants will now need to rely more on other relievers like Blake Tidwell, who recorded his first MLB save on Thursday, to fill the void.

The details

Buttó was placed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday, and the Giants called up Tidwell from the minors. Tidwell pitched three scoreless innings and recorded a save in his MLB debut on Thursday against the Mets. There is no timeline yet for Buttó's recovery from the blood clot procedure.

  • On Thursday, April 3, 2026, the Giants placed Buttó on the 15-day injured list.
  • On Thursday, April 3, 2026, Tidwell recorded his first MLB save for the Giants.

The players

José Buttó

A relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants who will undergo surgery to remove a blood clot from his pitching arm after being placed on the injured list.

Blake Tidwell

A Giants relief pitcher who was called up from the minors and recorded his first MLB save on Thursday after Buttó's injury.

Tony Vitello

The manager of the San Francisco Giants.

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What they’re saying

“During his time with reporters on Thursday, manager Tony Vitello said the Giants were hopeful that Buttó would only need the 15 days on the injured list. That was before Friday's diagnosis.”

— Tony Vitello, Giants Manager

What’s next

The Giants will continue their series against the Mets through Sunday as they look to fill the void left by Buttó's injury in the bullpen.

The takeaway

Buttó's blood clot injury is a significant setback for the Giants' bullpen, but it provides an opportunity for other relievers like Tidwell to step up and prove themselves at the major league level.