Jason Giambi Takes His .193 Average to The DL

OAKLAND -- That Jason Giambi went on the disabled list on Monday was no great shock. Giambi is 38 years old, having played in the field more than he figured he would, so coming up with a sore quad was predictable.

The question that went unanswered, largely because it can't be answered now, is whether Giambi's career is over. In the literal sense, it almost certainly isn't. It's only a strained quad, and it's still July, so you would think that at some point Giambi will be activated and play again.

But is his career, as Jason Giambi over?

Giambi has been a shadow of himself, batting .193, although he's still managed 11 homers. Discussing the roster move, general manager Billy Beane wouldn't give his evaluation of Giambi's performance this season, but he said that Giambi is disappointed with himself.

"I know he expects a lot of himself and he takes his performances to heart and he takes them personally," Beane said. "He's the kind of guy who feels not just responsible to himself, but to those around him, which is a good trait. I'm sure he's disappointed in the first half he had and feels like he's capable of more."

Giambi came and went when the clubhouse was not open to reporters. Over the weekend he told FanHouse that he felt like he was getting close to rediscovering his swing.

"That was the past, I can't change that," he said. "I feel good now. I feel like I got a rest. Hopefully I'll get that second wind now."

Giambi also admitted that so many games in the field had taken a toll on him. Giambi has started 58 games at first base.

"I didn't expect to play first that much," he said. "I don't know how many games I played, but it was a lot in a row [38 consecutive starts in May and early June, including 27 at first base]. I was just fouling balls off I should put in play. You can't do that at this level. You get a mistake, you've got to put it in play. ...

"I was hitting the ball good early then I started to slow down. Then I hit that wall a little bit. Hopefully I'll bounce out of it."

He won't be bouncing anywhere, at least for the next 15 days, and probably longer.

In the meantime Daric Barton is going to get another shot to show that he's a part of the A's long-term future. Oakland had high hopes for him before he tanked last season, and he started this year poorly at Triple-A Sacramento. Manager Bob Geren said Barton and Nomar Garciaparra will both play first.

When Geren was asked if Giambi would be limited to DH when he came off the disabled list, he said he wasn't sure.