The Giants announced that infielder Tyler Fitzgerald has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. That opens an active roster spot for right-hander Justin Verlander to be reinstated from the paternity list.
The move highlights what a seachange it’s been for Fitzgerald compared to last year. In 2024, he popped 15 home runs in just 96 games. He slashed .280/.334/.497 for a wRC+ of 132. He stole 17 bases and bounced around to various positions on the field, mostly at shortstop.
Coming into 2025, the Giants signed Willy Adames to cover shortstop but seemed likely to have Fitzgerald as their everyday second baseman. For the first month of the season, that was how it played out. Through the end of April, he had a .284/.341/.432 batting line and 119 wRC+ while holding down the keystone.
Unfortunately, he then hit the injured list due to a left rib fracture. He returned a couple of weeks later but has been slumping badly since then. He has stepped to the plate 110 times since coming off the IL but with a brutal line of .186/.245/.227 in that time.
The Giants have apparently decided that Fitzgerald needs a rest away from the big leagues, so he’ll get regular playing time in Sacramento as he tries to get back on track. In his absence, the second base playing time will likely go to some combination of Christian Koss, Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt, though Schmitt is currently covering third base while Matt Chapman is on the injured list.
Neither Koss nor Wisely has much major league success thus far. Koss has a .219/.269/.260 line in 81 plate appearances with Wisely at .212/.256/.312 through 415 trips. Ideally, Fitzgerald will get back in a groove fairly quickly, or perhaps Chapman can get healthy in short order and bump Schmitt over to second base. With the deadline just over a month away, the Giants have some time to suss out the situation and decide if the infield is something they need to address at the deadline.
For Fitzgerald personally, it’s likely to impact his trajectories to arbitration and free agency. He came into 2025 with exactly one year of major league service time, which would put him on pace for exactly two years of service after 2025. A major league season is 186 days long and a player needs 172 days of service to get a full year, so it’s still possible for Fitzgerald to get to that two-year line, though he would have to be recalled in the next two weeks and stay up the rest of the way.
Photo courtesy of Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images
Knew this was coming weeks ago. Schmidt is now the starting second baseman, of course After Chappy comes back and he would need to continue hitting like he has. His 3rd Base has really began to shine lately.
Verlander is going to have to kick it into gear for a great second half run here. Bad Luck, poor execution plus injuries have hindered him. As they would any pitcher. A solid second half run is what we’re leaning into.
G’s have Wisenhunt almost ready for the second half too. Or a post season appearance. Need another Starter or one of these to really step up.
The offense continues to struggle. Although they busted out the other day. Lineup issues all over too. Too wonky for me. Ramos 2, Devs 3, Adames 6, Lee Leadoff. I wouldn’t mess with that too much. And again Chappy come back then he’s 4, Flores 5. Bailey 9 for Sure.
Fitz would be an excellent super utility guy. Hopefully he just needs to get past the broken rib.
Fitzgerald was really good offensively for a stretch last year but he’s looked bad this year
Where’d the guy that hit Home Runs in 5 straight games last season go?
Whiffed so much that he’s gone with the wind.
Needs to get back to being a pulled flyball merchant. Last year, his pulled flyball rate was 27.5% and now it’s only 15.9%.
Fitzgerald has been looking like a deer in the headlights at the plate the last month. Last season he brimmed with confidence and shined. I hope he gets it back, if he does he’ll be an excellent back-up infielder when Schmitt takes over second.
His bat fell off a cliff in the final weeks of 2024 too, so really he’s struggled at the plate for almost 5 months straight now.
But he’s defended well at 2nd base and he can play almost anywhere on the field. So, although I doubt he’ll re-emerge as a regular again, I think he might (eventually) end up back with the team in a super-utility roll – both because of that versatility and because he has exceptional speed.
*closer to 4 months straight – not 5
Good point on the super utility type player. He’d be great at that if he figures out his lack of quality at bats in AAA. Needs to make much better contact by laying off all the bad pitches he flails at. Too many strikeouts.
The problem I see this year is, on the rare occasion he makes contact, he isn’t doing anything with it. His hard hit %, and exit velo are bad. I mean really bad. He’s in the 6th percentile for hard hit and the 1st percentile for exit velo. The best thing he does at the plate is walk, and that isn’t very good either with his BB% in the 30th percentile. Far below league average. He’s a total mess right now.
Fitz was batting .277/.333/.403 on May 30th but since then has pretty much been an automatic out. He did lay down a couple of crucial bunts last night though. Hopefully those positive vibes will bolster his confidence a little bit going to Sacramento.
This was long overdue. Schmitt is a better glove and has real pop in his bat. He’s looking for good pitches and is laying off most of the pitches he used to flail at. No one is giving up on Fitzgerald but he needs to go down and figure out the same thing most young players have to. Pitch selection. I like his speed and he’s an excellent bunter. He’ll be back eventually. For now though Casey is an upgrade and he’s earned it.
Happy for JV
Mo call Buster they need contact hitters we have them in the minors
Pitchers shifted the way he is pitched to and fitz has not adjusted whether he is still injured or shifted himself away because of it.
It had to happen now he needs to find his hitting stroke in AAA.
Agreed. Pretty standard trajectory. Come up, make a little splash, they adjust, you falter, back you go. Hopefully we see him again.
I wonder if Fitzgerald will be getting reps in the outfield. It would be a nice value add if he can also be the short side of the platoon for Yaz in addition to backing up all around the infield.
The last place you’d want Fitzgerald is in RF, where team’s need a good arm, which Fitzgerald does not possess. He could be serviceable in CF, with his speed, he can cover a lot of ground, but with his arm strength in the 15th percentile, I think it would be a mistake to put him in RF.
Matos has hit well the past couple weeks in Sacramento. No way Fitzgerald passes Matos on outfield depth chart.
I assume Devers now plays 3B until Chapman returns, Schmitt gets a run as starting 2B, and Flores gets regular at bats at DH or 1B.
I thought Jerar might get a better shot, but the combination of acquiring Devers and Eldridge looking at a September call up, Encarnacion’s time is running out.
Seriously doubt Devers sees any time at third. Best not to open that can of worms. Casey there for another week or so with Wisely / Koss 2B platoon. This is the best defensive plan.
Jerar did an oblique. Back to square one.
Fitzgerald looked like a solid piece most of last year. He’s had success in the past. Hopefully he can find it again.
I learned what happens when a player looks like an all-star type early back seeing Kevin Maas tear up the league like he is the next Mickey Mantle (media was pouring it on).
The following seasons he could did not make adjustments – declined showed
Hopefully Chapman won’t be on IL too much longer. Once he returns Schmitt can move over to 2B
In the meantime Giants will have to get whatever offense they can out of Koss / Wisely
Needs being addressed, problems being dealt with….Busters team now !
Things are looking up folks.
Buster is asking Devers how much he likes the idea of playing 2b!!!
Just let it go Sox fans.
No need to start trolling.
Nope, either wisely/koss will handle second, or Schmidt will move to second and they let Devers have a shot at third until chappy gets back
Schmitt has earned to start when Chapman comes back
He’ll be the everyday second baseman once Chapman comes back