The injury bug has continued to attack Giants pitching, as manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including NBCSports.com’s Alex Pavlovic and Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group) that right-hander Julian Fernandez has suffered a UCL sprain and is headed to the disabled list. Furthermore, closer Mark Melancon’s availability for Opening Day could be in question, as his arm is still bothering him after making back-to-back appearances last Thursday and Friday.
Fernandez was selected out of the Rockies’ farm system in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, and would’ve had to remain on San Francisco’s 25-man roster all season or else be offered back to Colorado. Placing Fernandez on the DL would keep him in the Giants organization for now, though the larger concern is the 22-year-old’s health status. The timeline for such UCL injuries vary greatly due to the severity of the sprain, though Fernandez will likely be sidelined for at least a few months.
If Fernandez did require Tommy John surgery, that procedure would have an interesting big-picture impact on the Giants. As The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly observes, Fernandez would be placed on the Major League disabled list and clock a year of service time while recovering from a TJ procedure, and he would also earn the $545K minimum salary. Even that small payroll addition would be an added stress for a Giants team that has very little space under the $197MM luxury tax threshold, after the team made a point this offseason of somewhat limiting its spending to get under the threshold and reset its tax overage counter. That $545K would be an expense that the Giants weren’t planning to make at all for Fernandez, as he struggled (13.50 ERA) over 7 1/3 spring innings and potentially could’ve been considered not worthy of a 25-man spot.
Melancon’s back-to-back outings marked the first time he’d pitched in consecutive days this spring, as the veteran reliever continues his recovery from forearm surgery last September. Needless to say, any further soreness is a red flag for both he and the team, though Bochy said that Melancon’s roster status wouldn’t be determined until after he tests his arm further by playing catch over the next day or two. Melancon has been bothered by some arm fatigue throughout camp and pitched in just five games throughout Spring Training as the team tried to bring him along slowly.
The closer is trying to rebound after a disappointing and injury-marred first season in San Francisco that saw him post a 4.50 ERA over 30 innings. If Melancon does go on the disabled list, the Giants could turn to setup men Hunter Strickland or Tony Watson for save situations, or potentially again use Sam Dyson as closer as they did in 2017. Dyson, however, has struggled through a very rough spring.
It has already been a brutal spring health-wise for the Giants, with Madison Bumgarner (fractured finger) and Jeff Samardzija (strained pec) both going down with injuries that have badly stretched the team’s pitching depth. GM Bobby Evans told Baggarly and other reporters that “I anticipate we will remain internal” in regards to finding replacements, though Evans is open to the idea of potentially adding new pitchers.
#BeliEven
JK. We officially suck.
Wow. They can not catch a breather with their pitching staff
Do you think there is strategy to DLing Fernandez? He has a live arm, but not quite ready for the big leagues. They cannot option him without offering him back, which I would think the Rockies would be excited about if they did. This way he doesn’t take up a spot on the 25-man, and they don’t have to make the offer. I understand the salary implications as it relates to the tax line, which isn’t ideal, but half a million bucks when your spending over 200 in salary seems like chump change.
You mean 40-man right?
no, 25 man – rule 5 has to stay on the 25 man not the 40 man
Oh really… this season isn’t looking hopeful
Giants must be really regretting the Melancon deal.
This had the writing all over it, mostly old team is going to have lots of injuries. They should have started the retooling this offseason. They do have a high draft pick and they hopefully can get some prospects when they are buried in the standings at midseason. Bum is just bad luck and he will come back and pitch well at some point. Melancon is probably done and they will have to eat that contract.
um no, bumgarner and samardzija are not old players (samardzija is a converted reliever too so he has less innings on his arm) – melancon was a bust but we’ll see what happens. if this was pence and cutch going down with back issues you might have more of a point but getting hit by a comebacker isn’t an age issue.
It’s a sad story when you’re relying on Pence and McCutcheon in 2018.
Pence, sure but mccutchen is still a good player. He’ll grade out a whole lot better in a corner as well.
Um no.. Solid argument saying Samardzjia not an old player lol he is 33 and most certainly is an older declining player.
Not too mention you say if Cutch went down with an injury OP would have a point but not Samardzjia.. Cutch is 2 years YOUNGER than Samardzjia.
Try again next time
2017-2020 or around there is going to be worst than 2005-2008 for the Giants.
Haha, yes those were some bad years. Definitely not looking good.
well if bochy manages to move pitchers around and actually win he will really deserve a MOY award. I was really hoping this season would be fun to watch – completely without a winning expectation……not so looking forward now.
If the Giants win 80 games, Bochy will go into the HOF by acclamation
Melancon’s contract is going to end up being a bigger bust than Zito’s.
4 years vs 7, 62 million vs 126
Zito beat the Cards in game 5 NLCS 2012, then beat Verlander game 1 of the WS.
Worth it.
Doubt Malancon will come close to having that kind of impact. Guy might be done before he gets started in SF.
BEEDE ..my boy right from my town here in mass
SF have just terrible pitching depth. Someone on here figured out that last year on average each team used TWELVE different starters. That means SF going into spring with 4 starters and a few guys who will fight it out for the fifth spot is just showing how weak their depth is.
Look at the Dodgers last year, they had a huge number of injuries and yet they made it to the WS. Because they had like 10 (I’m estimating) pretty good starters stashed on their roster. SF had 4 plus 1. Not good.
The dodgers didn’t have nearly as many injuries as the DL stints indiicate. The Dodgers are the number 1 reason they need a 15 day DL for pitchers and 10 day DL for position players. They gamed the system and would DL pitchers to keep innings down among other things. But yes I do agree the dodgers have much better depth in SP than the Giants.
I thought the MLB average was 8 starters per year!
Giants are mud- completely irrelevant. No pitching depth = DOOM
Are the 2018 Giants turning into the 2017 Mets?
The Giants should sign RA Dickey. Why not? I’d watch him.
The Giants have no depth and are no longer very good at grabbing players to fill in weaknesses. Ever since the injuries we hear they will go internal. Who do they have? Practically zilch. Beede has not shown in can pitch in Triple A. Bobby and Brian have to pick up a starter and a reliever. Let’s dump Dyson and his 4 million and pick up two cheaper guys. He’s not worth it.
Agreed. As it stands they can’t really afford to sign any pitcher for even league minimum and stay under the luxury tax threshold. SF could turn Dyson’s $4M salary into a serviceable SP and reliever. Such headaches, and the season hasn’t even started!
2nd highest payroll in the league, and the MLB roster is a dumpster fire.
The farm ain’t much better either.
Tough to be a Giants fan right now.
Well, you win 3 World Series in a decade and you’re bound to crash back down. Can’t fault them for taking another crack at it. Especially when you fill the stands every night.
I remember saying when they signed Watson it will put them at or over the Lux tax and several giants fans said winning is a priority this year. If the giants fail to make the playoffs and are over the Lux tax this year it’s a colassal failure of epic proportions.
Reality is it’s probably better for them to start off awful so it won’t temp management into making dumb decisions and go over the Lux tax this year in a year where they aren’t really equipped to win it all.
At this point, the Giants front office is the blind leading the ignorant.
This roster should have been dismantled – instead, they’re paying $200mil in payroll while being unlikely to sniff .500 ball.
The Org is in pretty bad shape right now.
It was fine to be a Giants fan like a week ago.
I won’t write them off yet, but I remember last spring when it was clear that a lot of things would have to break just right for the Yankees to make the post season, and all those things did break just right. I could make the same argument for the Giants now, but it’s tough to muster up enough optimism to overcome the injuries and total lack of payroll flexibility. Too many factors working against them right now.
Big difference between last years Yankees team
and this years Giants team. BIG difference !
The Marlins need to sign Eric Aybar who was released by the Twins!
Wrong thread! I hate this phone so much!
Bochy will still turn this club into a winner. Don’t think they’ll win the NL West but I suspect they’ll be better than expected in light of these injuries.
How do we know we suck it’s only the fourth game of the season so shut up idiots I don’t know crap
I meant you guys don’t know crap I’m a die hard giants fan