Brandon Belt placed on the IL

Ever since Brandon Belt injured his knee during the San Francisco Giants thrilling victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, we’ve been waiting for some updates on his health. And now they’re starting to roll in, and they’re not very good.

As was expected, the Giants have placed Belt on the 10-day Injured List. Replacing him is fellow lefty LaMonte Wade Jr.

While that part is expected, the worry is what could come next. According to manager Gabe Kapler, the organization has some concerns that Belt might need to undergo surgery, which he has already had to do with the same knee.

Losing Belt — who is having a great year, hitting .253/.363/.512 with solid defense — would be a big hit to the Giants as they continue their surprising run. More than that though, is that it would simply be sad. Belt has battled injuries for a while now, and they always seem to pop up right as he’s finding his rhythm. If he were to lose significant time in a year that’s special not just for him but for the team — and also happens to be his final year under contract — that would be a mega bummer.

The silver lining is that the Giants have exhibited tremendous depth all year long, and that will once again be on display as Wade returns. Wade has had a very strong year — he’s hitting .265/.344/.470 — but was optioned earlier in the week when Alex Dickerson returned from injury. Losing Belt certainly hurts, but it’s not the disaster it would have been in recent years.

Heal up quickly, BB9.