Chris Haft of MLB.com reports the Giants have promoted first round draft pick Conor Gillaspie after just 24 games at the pro-level, making him the first of his class to reach the show:
Manager Bruce Bochy said that Gillaspie wouldn’t start a game immediately but might be available sooner for pinch-hitting. The 21-year-old spent the previous few weeks batting a combined .269 with no home runs and 15 RBIs for the Giants’ Rookie-level Arizona League affiliate and short-season Salem-Keizer, so playing in the Majors would be an ambitious leap.
Gillaspie is a left-handed bat and if he shows anything this month and/or in spring training, he could earn a spot at a position with no given regular projected for 2009. This may be a speculative call up, however. Hitting only .269 with no homeruns, Gillaspie hasn’t shown a whole lot in pro-ball to merit this call up for competitive reasons, and the Giants certainly want to try to be competitive next season, don’t they?
Clay Timpner was sent down to Triple-A to make room for Gillaspie.
