SF Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald pulled from game vs. Brewers in third inning

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants took the field to start the top of the third inning Thursday night against the Brewers, it was Brett Wisely and Marco Luciano who assumed the two middle infield positions.

Tyler Fitzgerald, who started the game at shortstop, had been removed after his lower back tightened up, the club later announced, and will undergo an MRI Friday morning. Although it was severe enough to force him from the game, Fitzgerald said he wasn’t overly concerned about the longterm prognosis.

“It’s nothing I’m super concerned about; it just locked up pretty good,” Fitzgerald said after the Giants’ 3-0 loss. “I felt it in pregame warm ups and tried to play through it.”

Running to first base on his lineout to right field in the first inning, Fitzgerald said, “I just knew something was off.” He took the field for the top of the second and turned two to end the inning, fielding a sharp ground ball from Sal Frelick, stepping on second and firing to first. At that point, he said, “I just figured it’s not worth it.

“Right now, it’s completely locked up, so probably a smart decision.”

Interestingly, Luciano took over at second base while Wisely slid over to Fitzgerald’s spot at shortstop.

Fitzgerald, 26, has already made a strong enough impression to enter next spring central in the Giants’ plans. Seizing the starting shortstop job at midseason, Fitzgerald is batting .296 with 14 home runs and a team-high 17 stolen bases in his first full-time opportunity in the majors.

It has been tougher sledding for Luciano, who seemed earmarked for the job at the end of last season but was beaten out by Nick Ahmed in the spring and has spent the season splitting time between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento, spending less and less time at shortstop.

“We’re trying to get him consistent reps at one position,” Melvin said. “Right now, it’s second base.”

Neither player has provided exemplary defense, with 19 errors between them, leading some to speculate about pursuing external options such as San Diego’s Ha-Seong Kim, a pending free agent, who played for manager Bob Melvin with the Padres and is close friends with Jung Hoo Lee.

There’s also Willy Adames, arguably the highest-profile member of the upcoming class of free-agent shortstops and currently in town with the Brewers. Adames, 29, is earning $12.25 million in his final year of arbitration and should be due for a handsome raise with career-highs in RBIs (102), steals (18) and runs scored (84) to go with his 30 homers.