Major League Baseball

Runzler injures knee swinging bat

Published Jul. 8, 2010 11:55 p.m. ET

foxsports

San Francisco reliever Dan Runzler dislocated his left knee and had to leave while batting in the seventh inning of the Giants' game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

Runzler swung and missed on a 1-1 pitch from David Riske, falling backward onto the ground in his first major-league at-bat. He appeared to twist his left leg and walked gingerly to the dugout.

He said the knee popped back into place on its own, but he had a set of crutches after the game and will undergo an MRI on Friday. Runzler said trainers told him they did not believe he had torn any ligaments, and he suffered a similar injury to his other knee several years ago.

Manager Bruce Bochy said it was likely Runzler will be placed on the disabled list, but the team would wait until the results of the MRI.

Pitcher Madison Bumgarner pinch-hit for Runzler and struck out on the first pitch he faced. The strike out was credited to Runzler since he had two strikes when he exited the game.

Runzler had pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting the Giants out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. He was credited with the win in San Francisco's 9-3 victory.

For the season, the left-hander is 3-0 with a 3.30 ERA in 36 relief appearances.