The Giants announced they’ve reinstated first baseman Brandon Belt from the 10-day injured list. He’s starting at first base, hitting seventh in the order this afternoon against the Diamondbacks. To create active roster space, starter Kevin Gausman was placed on the paternity list.
Belt returns after missing around six weeks with right knee inflammation, his second IL stint of the season. In between the injuries, the 33-year-old had been having a quietly excellent year at the plate, hitting .253/.363/.512 with eleven home runs across 201 plate appearances. A career-high 32.3% strikeout rate has knocked a bit of a blow to Belt’s batting average, but he’s again demonstrated a very good combination of plate discipline and power.
Going back to the start of the 2020 season, Belt has a .279/.392/.549 line. By measure of wRC+ (minimum 300 plate appearances), only Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatís Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Bryce Harper have been more productive on a rate basis. However, Belt’s injuries have kept him to a little more than half the playing time of some of those star players.
In other positive news for the Giants, third baseman Evan Longoria is beginning a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento this evening, the team told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). Longoria has been down since June 6 with a left shoulder sprain, but he’s apparently nearing a return. The 35-year-old was enjoying a resurgent season before the injury, hitting .280/.376/.516 through his first 186 plate appearances. The stellar production from Belt and Longoria has been a significant part of the Giants’ league-best 68-40 record, good for a 3.5 game lead in the National League West.
All about that belt ‘bout that belt no treble
When Gausman is reinstated I don’t want to see Estrada or Wade sent down. I wish Belt had been traded before the deadline. Or Dickerson.
Pretty hard to trade an injured Belt or a sub-replacement level Dickerson. It will probably be Estrada, as good as he’s been.
They shouldn’t have traded for Bryant
I think every competitor in baseball makes that trade if they could trade places with the Giants.
Bryant will move to LF
Yeah, I know, especially with Belt’s previous spate of injuries. But there are some parks (Yankee Stadium, for instance) where he’d be a monster. Was hoping we could get a starting arm for him.
Belt’s in the last year of his contract. No team is trading a decent SP for a rental.
You’re probably right, unless it was a rental for a rental between two contenders.
Still don’t see it. Pitching is what most teams were looking for. Which contender is trading a decent SP, for a first-baseman, no matter how good a year Belt was having? In fact did any contender trade a SP?
Estrada has been slumping hard lately. He has until Gausman gets back to turn it around.
you’re likely right – though not having a true backup ss is a bit of a hinderance to the roster.
The Giants’ depth is really showing. Having to send down a good player because there isn’t enough room on the 26-man roster should make fans happy. Someone mentioned they shouldn’t have acquired Kris Bryant but I disagree.
It will no longer be stunning if the Giants finish with the best record in baseball. The Dodgers might have more “stars,” but the Giants have a roster full of guys who contribute to a winning cause. Kapler has done an outstanding job of mixing, matching, and keeping guys fresh. The clubhouse must be outstanding.
Cey Hey,
I couldn’t agree more, but it still will be a bit of a surprise to me if they do finish the season in first. I do expect them to make the PS, probably with home field in the WC game. The Dodgers haven’t been playing up to their talent level, but I wouldn’t bet on that continuing. And with the deadline additions, they are still a very scary team.
This comment is delusional. Depth? Where is the starting pitching depth? It ain’t there. As I type this DeSclafani is on the IL and Alex Wood is getting LIT UP by one of the Worst teams in MLB
tad2bi3, A lot hinges on Bellinger. I am the most patient fan in the world but think he needs a few days away from the big-league team to work things out. Someone will lose at-bats when Trea Turner is activated. At this point, Bellinger would seem to be that guy. No way do you sit Pollock.
Check this out. Andruw Jones’ disastrous 2008 season in L.A. versus Bellinger’s in 2021.
Jones: (238 PA) .158/.256/.249 OPS+ 87; WAR -1.6
Bellinger (206 PA) . .168/.267/.291 OPS+ 52; WAR -1.2
Jones was still a relatively young 31. Bellinger just turned 26. With Cody, I wonder if it has to do with his eyes because he doesn’t seem to be seeing the ball. I have wondered that about him before. Whatever the case, he’s been a poor representative for that allergy medicine he peddles on TV.
They are deeper than the Madres, especially since Yu Darvish “mysteriously” stopped pitching well. Yu’s Last five starts: 25.2 innings, 21 earned runs, 9 home runs). What’s with that, or do I really need to ask?
You are a disgrace to Dodgers fans, Cey Hey. Just shut the f up.
Cey Hey,
Interesting comparison, but Jones did bounce back. The Dodgers were just unlucky enough to get him during the worst season of his career.
I for one am not sold on Bellinger being the guy that won the MVP. Not sure he’ll ever get back to that level. But the Dodgers don’t need Bellinger producing like that to win. Trea Turner gives them a ton of flexibility, especially when Seager gets back. They can field a winning team with Bellinger on the bench, though I think they’re still better with him in the field.
Chief Two Hands:
The difference between Cey Hey and you is that Cey Hey actually looks at things objectively. I appreciate that, and think that his approach is much better for the comments section of a baseball website, where people want to discuss aspects of the game. Yours is better when sitting in the bleachers. Biased takes are completely uninteresting.
Cey Hey, where did you find Bellinger a WAR because my last check at fangraphs this morning had -0.1 WAR.
Why, because I am a fan of baseball in general? I confess: I watch other teams.
Btw, the disgrace was the Dodger fans who threw stuff on the field the last two nights. Included was a friggin’ coffee. Whoever threw stuff should be Identified and banned for life from all MLB ballparks, like the guy who tossed a baseball at Alex Verdugo a couple of weeks ago.
This is why I no longer attend live games. Too many jerks in the stands, with those dim bulbs the last two games being Exhibit A.
Seager came back this week. I agree regarding Bellinger. His slumps are maddening. The .300 average in 2019 was probably a fluke. He’s like Darryl Strawberry only with a better glove. I used to watch Straw a lot in my time living in the NYC area. There were times when he looked finished, only to bounce back in a big way until his next mammoth slump.
tstats, I went to Baseball-Reference as my one-stop for complete stats. I know the two do WAR differently. Is there a reason to trust one over the other?
does Bellinger have options remaining?
Yes, Bellinger has an option remaining.
7.5 gb..
I’m sure there’s a better example that @TonyGywnnSD19, knows close to nothing about baseball, but this is certainly one of them.
First of all, anyone that knows anything about baseball, knows one game means absolutely nothing. Especially when the Giants are 11 -2, and the SD is 6-3 against “one of the worst teams in baseball”
Also against that same team, SF is allowing an average of 4 runs per game. The Padres are allowing 4.333 runs per games. SF is averaging 7.23 runs against the D’backs, while SD is only managing 5,5.
And somehow giving up 4 runs is getting “LIT UP”. And if he actually read anything, he’d would know the IL visit by DeSclafani, is for fatigue, and is only for one start.
And this baseball genius, can’t recognize the fact that having 6 SPs is depth, tells you all you need to know about this low baseball IQ poster.
You are what you’re record is. Bitterness is never a good look.
Another win. Time to put the night light on, the dummy in, and sob yourself to sleep, Tony.
Brandon Belt ….A notorious Rally killer and quintessential underachiever. Just what the doctor ordered for Frisco’s inevitable 2nd half collapse. Lol
Caution: a team led by Joey Voto is right behind you.
TonyGwynnSD19 obviously didn’t read the article. He sees any post concerning the Giants, and apparently jumps right to the comments due to an overwhelming urge to troll.
Ha ha. There we go. Nice. I’ve learnt to look forward to you projecting yourself as a disappointed 8yo.
Proposed Giants-Padres trade: The remaining two months of Belt’s contract for the remaining two months and four years on Eric Hosmer’s.
Who says no?
MLB says no since the trade deadline has passed.
You’re no fun.
Btw, Belt with a key hit during today’s ninth-inning rally.
Cey Hey:
Is that a trick question? I have a hard time seeing any team giving anything, even with sizable salary offset, in exchange for Hosmer.
tad2b13:
That was my point.
Good point, well put.
(IF the deadline was still looming) The Giants. Whatever his flaws (and injuries), Belt is a Gold Glove caliber first baseman with (mostly) a high OBP. Hosmer, oh god . . . and that contract . . .
Belt did it in 2016…..hopefully they learned from history
Padres pitching … Ha Ha!
Whoever has options left is probably going to get sent down.
Pitching is the issue with the Giants. Every starter is throwing more innings than in either 2019 or 2020. As a result they are not what they were earlier in the year. Webb has to come up big and Farhan needs to do his magic. They are fine position-wise but need mound help.
Arizona may be in last place but with Marte and Kelly in the lineup they are dangerous. Let’s hope they do well against the Padres and Dodgers.
It’s an issue for all three teams. The Dodgers’ interest in Cole Hamels has me thinking we won’t be seeing Kershaw anytime soon. The Padres also have problems, what with Paddack hitting the IL and the all-start version of Darvish disappearing. Aside from Milwaukee, which NL contenders aren’t suffering rotation woes?
Huh?
Dodgers rotation WITHOUT Kershaw is : Beuhler, Scherzer, Urias, Price. Where’s the Issue ? Scherzer, Buehler, Urias are all three league leaders.
Do your homework Dude
Price has gone five innings just once this season and there’s no #5 starter with Gonsolin down. That makes the rotation Buehler, Scherzer, Urias, bullpen, bullpen
There’s my homework. Where’s yours?
That’s what the 10 day IL is used for. Arm fatigue = 1 missed start. They just need rest.
Hitting .253 is having an “excellent year” along with a career-high strikeout rate?
Is .250 the new .300 now?
.253/.363/.512. OPS+ 135.
Yeah, excellent.
And putting that into context, George Brett had a career OPS+ of 135, and JD Martinez currently is at 135 OPS+ for his career as well. Jose Abreu, Kris Bryant, Nelly Cruz and Christian Yelich all have a career 134 OPS+.
Well let’s but Belt in the HoF then…
I don’t care what his OPS+ and other numbers are. Hitting .250 is not excellent.
A walk is as good as a hit. Said every baseball coach ever.
Nobody said put Belt in the HoF. Don’t be a turd. There are plenty of good, very good, and almost great players, that aren’t in the HoF. Belt’s OPS+ puts him with the very good.
Your obsession with BA is cute, but makes me think you’re older than I am, and I’m 72. Refusal to accept what analysis shows to be true, in favor of outdated stats, is not really defensible. I’m guessing you still think bleeding someone is a good medical treatment.