San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, who hasn’t played in almost six weeks because of a strained abdominal muscle, was diagnosed with a sports hernia and expects to undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday.All signs were pointing to surgery after an MRI exam last week confirmed Chapman had a core muscle injury, and the team announced he would fly to Philadelphia to be examined by Dr. William Meyers, whose specialty is repairing sports hernias. Chapman told reporters at Oracle Park on Friday that he anticipates Meyers will recommend surgery.Chapman, 33, played through the injury for several weeks before aggravating it in a June 30 game at Arizona. He ramped up baseball activities and was swinging without pain but still felt the injury while running.“We’ve been pushing, trying to get ready this whole last month,” Chapman said last week. “Honestly, I felt like I was getting close. Then we ramped up and tried to put me in game situations … and it just hasn’t been recovering to a spot where we feel like I can play. I can’t come back and play my very first game already playing through pain again.”The five-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman hit .235/.324/.368 with seven home runs and a career-low 97 OPS+. There were times when his bat went so quiet he might have needed a library card to check it out of the rack. He went a career-long 15 games in May without scoring a run.His first home run of the season came on March 31. His second homer came on June 1.There was no hiding Chapman’s struggles at the plate amid a team-wide slump in the first two months of the season. The lack of run production, along with a combustible bullpen and a neophyte coaching staff, combined to cook the team’s postseason aspirations before Flag Day. At least Chapman was able to draw a decent number of walks on a team that continues to rank distantly last in the category and provide value with his defense at third base.Chapman’s 2.9 bWAR is second on the team behind All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez, who was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline.Chapman is finishing the second season in a six-year, $151 million extension that he signed in September, 2024. He’ll make annual salaries of $25 million through 2030 and has a full no-trade clause.With Casey Schmitt also out for the season following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the Giants are likely to use some combination of Christian Koss, Osleivis Basabe and Buddy Kennedy to cover the position for the remainder of the season.Power-hitting prospect Parks Harber also can play third base but he’s not on the 40-man roster and won’t have to be added after the season to shield him from a potential Rule 5 draft. Because a lockout is expected after the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and players on the 40-man roster could not be contacted by teams or play games until an agreement is in place, the Giants might prefer to let Harber finish the season at Triple-A Sacramento.Aug 8, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms