Thumb bumps Posey from Giants­ lineup

Buster Posey could miss most of the upcoming homestand with an irritated nerve in his right thumb.

Posey was initially in the lineup on Tuesday, but backup catcher Trevor Brown replaced him soon thereafter.

Posey said the thumb is something he’s dealt with over time, but it flared up in St. Louis.

The injury could explain the inconsistency Posey’s encountered at the plate of late; he’s two of his last 24, though he hit three home runs over the Giants’ long road trip. Bruce Bochy said the injury couldn’t have made things better:

“When you’re hands not quite right, you’re gonna lose some power.”

Posey is day-to-day, but Bochy said he could miss up to 3 to 5 days. This home stand is cushioned by a few crucial off-days, this past Monday and the next two Thursdays. This team is getting beat up, so these days could be a nice boost health-wise.

Posey is available to pinch hit, though. If there’s a chance at a game-winner, said Bochy, Posey could get the nod.

Should Posey miss Wednesday’s game, Bumgarner will have to pitch to someone other than his battery mate for the first time since 2014.

Angel Pagan  was running drills before Tuesday’s game. He’s eligible to come off the DL (hamstring) Wednesday. Bochy said he could be on his rehab assignment by Monday.

Bochy also said Matt Cain could be back in the rotation by Monday.

Shayna Rubin is SFBay’s San Francisco Giants beat writer. Follow @SFBay and @ShaynaRubin on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of Giants baseball.