SAN FRANCISCO -- The best month of Joey Bart's MLB career was halted in an unfortunate way.
Bart was removed before the top of the fifth inning of the Giants' game Monday against the San Diego Padres, two innings after he took a foul tip off the mask. He was taken back to the clubhouse to go through tests with trainers, with Austin Wynns taking over behind the plate. After the 6-5 loss, manager Gabe Kapler said Bart was removed as "a precaution."
Bart took a shot off the mask when Manny Machado was at the plate in the third inning. After he helped Carlos Rodón warm up in the fourth, Bart was checked by manager Gabe Kapler and trainer Anthony Reyes, but he stayed in the game temporarily.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"He told the doc after the game that he had some pressure (in his head) so we're going to evaluate him tonight, we'll evaluate him tomorrow morning," Kapler said. "We'll see what his availability is for tomorrow's game."
Bart has turned his season around since returning from a brief stay in Triple-A. He's hitting .327 in August, the fourth-highest by a Giants rookie catcher in a single month. Bart's OPS is up to .710, which ranks sixth among NL catchers. His .780 OPS in the second half is third on the team, behind only Evan Longoria and J.D. Davis.
RELATED: Giants-Padres game delayed by malfunctioning Oracle Park lights
San Francisco Giants
Bart got a scare earlier this month when he hurt his ankle. The Giants called up Yermin Mercedes and Ford Proctor to their taxi squad the next day, but manager Gabe Kapler said that if any of his big league catchers were to go on the IL at any point, he likely would turn to Andrew Knapp, who is a full-time catcher, unlike the other two.