Foul tip off face mask forces SF Giants’ Joey Bart to concussion IL

Giants catcher Joey Bart took a foul tip from Manny Machado off his face mask Monday night and on Tuesday was placed on the concussion IL.

SAN FRANCISCO — After undergoing pregame tests Tuesday, Giants catcher Joey Bart was still feeling enough of the effects from a foul tip off his face mask to necessitate a move to the concussion list.

Placing Bart on the 7-day concussion IL shortly before first pitch, the Giants’ options behind the plate against the Padres were limited to Austin Wynns, who started in Bart’s place, and Yermín Mercedes, who was activated and served as the backup, despite logging three innings behind the plate in his major-league career.

Bart, who had begun to entrench himself as the Giants’ everyday catcher, took a foul ball from Manny Machado off his face mask in the third inning of Monday night’s game. Although he remained in the game for one more inning after undergoing an initial concussion screening, he was removed before the fifth inning.

Carlos Rodón, who threw the slider that Machado fouled off, said after Monday’s game that “it seems like he’s OK. Hopefully he’s good to go. … It him right in the face.”

When Kapler and trainer Anthony Reyes came out to check on Bart initially, he reported no symptoms and wanted to stay in the game. Afterward, however, Bart was experiencing “mild” symptoms, including pressure in his head, Kapler said.

Before Tuesday’s game, Kapler said Bart was “feeling better” and ramping up the intensity of his pregame work to test how the concussion responded. “His symptoms were better today, but he did come in with some,” Kapler said, adding that if they worsened it would require a stint on the concussion list.

Only a little while later, Bart was placed on the IL. He will be eligible to be activated next Tuesday, before the Giants’ second game in Los Angeles. He declined interview requests from reporters prior to Tuesday’s game against the Padres.

In the meantime, Mercedes started at first base Tuesday in addition to serving as Wynns’ backup.

If the Giants opt for more catching depth, especially with rosters set to expand to 28 on Thursday, they have a couple options they could recall from Triple-A Sacramento: Patrick Mazeika, a recent waiver claim from the Mets, and Andrew Knapp, who has a .996 OPS since being claimed from Seattle but would have to be added to the 40-man roster.