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.
It’s not the rib, the swing and miss is legit.
Yaz 7 and Casey 8..sounds good to me..the bottom third of this lineup would actually pose a threat to pitchers….the potential is nice or we can have the classic double play thx to Bailey
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.
Unless Casey completely reverts to his old ways (poor pitch selection), he’s the second baseman for the rest of the year.
Fitzgerald, if he can cut down the swing and miss considerably, will be an excellent super utility guy (plays all 4 infield positions, all 3 OF spots, has great seed and stolen base instincts, and is a reliable bunter).
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.
Goob – I said exactly that just above you before reading your post.
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.
Same type of situation for Matos. Had a really hot spell for a couple weeks last year and then he took a nosedive that carried into this year. Back to AAA for him also. I really like his swing but not enough contact. Hope he too figures it out because I think he could be a good 4th outfielder.
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.
They need to trade Eldridge ASAP why he has value. His strikeouts and below avg D has the making of a bust talent. Maybe a Gallo type without the high walks and less pop.
Yes. Devers won’t see any 3rd base play at all, even with Chapman out. Devers will DH and after more workouts he’ll play some 1B. Once Chappy is back Schmitt will take over at 2B. Little bit concerned with Wisely and Koss as infield backups though.
Please don’t confuse Devers with another potential move to a different position. He requires 6 months prior notice for any alterations to his daily routine, and all are subject to how he feels that day for his $30M per year.
Stop kicking him. It’s over.
Carver-Yes he was with Boston. He’s in SF now. The Giants’ front office and manager operate and treat their players a lot different. He’s very happy now and will play some 1B and DH.
@ foppert – I was more having fun with the unabashed knee jerk apologists for his behavior no matter what the reality of being a professional means in the real world, although Devers has one heck of a lot of growing up to do. Perhaps SF will help; perhaps not.
@mab – Most folks are happy on their honeymoon. The test is when times are not rosy and new.
None of those apologists are in here. You speak of growing up ?
We know what he has to do. So step away and let him do that.
Pickle, First, Eldridge plays 1B. Gallo was mostly an outfielder. Only 22% of his game starts were at 1B where 68% were in the OF
Less pop? You clearly haven’t read any of the scouting reports.
So the SOs, and below average D are why other guys who play 1B, like Pete Alonso, Spencer Torkelson, and Michael Busch, who also SO a lot, with below average D, have so little value?
Okay, I was wrong about having less pop. But Gallo had a 80 score for power, which is the highest possible, so almost everyone has less pop. Aaron Judge had a 70 score. Eldridge has a 6o score so power or lack of is not an issue.
I’ve been happily married for 48 years. So sometimes it just works out. He will be fine. The Giants have many clubhouse leader types to help. Chapman, Adames, Webb, Flores and Bailey to name a few. Those guys lead by example. I don’t know that Boston had players that Devers could look up to. Sometimes culture helps. I don’t know what Cora has done but I don’t think he sets an example for some of his players. Probably not terribly honest with some in the clubhouse. He does have a past.
@foppert – You come across as overly defensive about the whole thing. The Devers issue is still out there as analysts and executives and former ballplayers are chipping in every day on the subject – and frankly most of them are coming down in my neighborhood.
Sure – the RS front office and ownership have not communicated very well or handled their business in a terrific way in recent years, but there is still no excuse for any ballplayer much less the highest paid guy and veteran player on the team to act as he did.
As to your need to be kind of an a$$ in your response to me – seriously?
@mab – Congrats; that is quite an accomplishment. And the environment should help for sure, as clearly Devers needs a few examples of how to be a professional. Hopefully it works for everyone out there.
Yes. Seriously. You’re obsessed about it. Grow up and move on.
@foppert – Ah, the bravado of the internet warrior, saying stuff that would earn you a punch in the nose in person. Go away little boy.
Oh Please. Whatever. You came into a Giants post kicking the guy, come up with lame excuses for the behaviour and then have the hide to play victim. When it comes to childishness, you have got Devers covered. Easily.
Same answer foppert – go away little boy.
MLB Top 100 Commenter – Devers isn’t going to play 3rd for SF and Encarnacion’s trouble has been his injuries. He’ll get more chances.
Thank goodness you’re not the Giants GM.
I’m sure that somewhere down the road a bit we’ll hear more of the reason behind Devers leaving but I choose to not only give him the benefit of the doubt but embrace him as a Giant. We are very happy to see the real Raffy Devers in San Francisco for years.
Pete
Agree it is now clear Devers won’t play even a handful of games at 3B until Chapman is back.
Yes, Jerar has been set back by injuries, my point is that by the time he is healthy I thought Eldridge might have 1B, but now Eldridge is also injured.
Foppert has been a very knowledeable and pleasant poster on here for some time now. He always has been respectful with his posts and he’s a great contributor on here. And yet, you Carver Andrews, have ticked a number of us off with sometimes abrasive attitude. Maybe look to change your behavior and contribute something to the actual conversation.
And yet you keep going on. Go root for your team. I’m sure they’re wondering where you trolled off to. This back and forth on Devers is just getting a little old. He’s here and he’s not there. Enough said.
Good luck with Devers in SF; no need for me to respond in kind to the rest. Take care.
Fitzgerald already has OF experience.
He’s not in AAA because he didn’t have a position to play. He had 2B given to him. He’s in AAA because he hasn’t hitting at all. With the way he was failing on offense it wouldn’t have mattered how many positions he could play. He could have been a really good 2B if he hit some. 9 RBI on the season doesn’t cut it. And I don’t care who wasn’t getting on base for him. He had plenty of RBI chances. It’s a really paltry total for 1/2 season. If you’re talking about when he figures it out and gets called back up with offense first and is more versatile even better.
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
BA
That be like asking Aaron Judge to play catcher. Thank you Raffy. I wonder if he even realizes how bizarre that statement is.
Schmitt has earned to start when Chapman comes back
He’ll be the everyday second baseman once Chapman comes back
Jerar is on thin ice……he is limited to RF, 1B, or DH which are covered well by Yaz, Johnson, Flores, Smith , and Devers. Verlander needs to start pitching better or his ice could start getting thin.
Jerar is NOT on thin ice. The guy can rake and for a big man is particularly athletic. Once his injuries pass he will get another shot.
I agree that Jerar is talented but if Devers is DH, Eldridge is 1B, Ramos is locked in as OF1, then Flores and Yaz get at-bats, 2026 playing time will be tough. But Eldridge’s injury might change that as Flores’ amazing start has cooled.
Flores has cooled, but not to the extent that there’s anything to worry about. Most player’s numbers will vary up and down throughout the season. Aaron Judge’s OPS is 275 points less in June than it was in March/April. It’s down 299 points for Ohtani, May to June. For Flores it’s down 84 points, May to June. As long as Flores is healthy the man will hit.
Which begs the point? With Devers at DH next April, and Eldridge at 1B, where do Flores and Jerar play?
Neither would have a starting role, but Jerar could see significant time as the 4th OF with Yastrzemski probably moving on.
Same with Flores on the IF and at DH. The Giants like to cycle position players through the DH position which is probably why they asked Devers to take reps at 1B. Neither Eldridge nor Devers is going to start 162 games. I could see Flores getting 2-3 starts a week, and he’d be the first RH pinch hitter off the bench.
Solid guess. Unless Yaz is gone next year.
I guess Fitz didn’t get the memo that’s it’s go time
Fitz is a symbol of the entire offense. The Giants going into Sunday have been unwatchable. I couldn’t remember the last loud contact ANY Giants hitter had made before Sunday.
It makes me think it isn’t the players.
Ramos has looked great at the plate all season. Flores started hot and Schmitt has been hot in June. Chapman looked good for a while as well.
The offense has struggled but there’s been plenty of hard (loud) contact: Schmitt, Adames, Ramos, Yaz. What team are you watching?