The Giants optioned left-hander Carson Whisenhunt and catcher Jesús Rodríguez to Triple-A Sacramento, per the club. Neither is particularly surprising, though both young players are ranked among the organization’s top 20 or so prospects.
Whisenhunt, 25, made his MLB debut last year and was tagged for a 5.01 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. He also logged a 4.43 ERA in 107 2/3 Triple-A frames. Formerly ranked among the sport’s top 100 prospects, Whisenhunt saw his strikeout rate plummet by nearly eight percentage points last season, checking in at 20.9%, though he did so with a career-best 7.7% walk rate that vastly outpaced 2024’s mark of 11.3%.
San Francisco signed Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle this offseason, adding that pair of veterans to a group of incumbents led by Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp. That quintet will open in rookie manager Tony Vitello’s rotation, with righty JT Brubaker providing a swing option in the ‘pen. Whisenhunt will be among the Giants’ first depth options in the event of an injury to a big league starter, with righties Blade Tidwell and Carson Seymour also in the mix.
As for Rodriguez, he was never going to supplant Patrick Bailey — the sport’s premier defensive catcher — as the starter. That he’s been optioned to Triple-A bodes well for backup Daniel Susac, who’s in camp as a Rule 5 pickup out of the A’s organization (though technically acquired via trade with the Twins). The 24-year-old Susac hit .303/.361/.455 in 36 plate appearances this spring and is poised to make his MLB debut as Bailey’s backup this year.
Rodríguez, 23, came to the Giants as part of the Camilo Doval trade with the Yankees last July. He had a huge spring (.353/.405/.559 in 37 plate appearances) but will head to Sacramento for additional development time. He’s coming off a strong .307/.393/.403 showing in 565 plate appearances spent mostly in Triple-A last year. Sending him to Sacramento will allow Rodríguez to get more regular at-bats than he’d have received as a backup to Bailey, and it also helps the team protect its depth by affording Susac a runway to a big league roster spot rather than placing him on waivers and having to offer him back to the A’s.
Turning back to the pitching side of things, righty Hayden Birdsong is still mulling his options after being diagnosed with a flexor strain and UCL sprain, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s already had a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. Birdsong will miss the entire 2026 season if he undergoes surgery, although getting surgery earlier now would allow him to return sooner next year.
A spring standout last year, the now-24-year-old Birdsong was terrific out of the San Francisco bullpen to begin the 2025 season. He broke camp with the club and rattled off 20 1/3 innings with a 1.33 ERA, a 25.9% strikeout rate and a 9.4% walk rate. A move to the rotation didn’t pan out. Birdsong started 10 games for the Giants but was rocked for a 6.17 ERA with greatly diminished rate stats (21.8 K%, 13.7 BB%).
Whether he goes the surgery route or rehab route, Birdsong will be facing a substantial absence. Surgery would sideline him into summer of the 2027 season. Rehab would still presumably cost him months of the current campaign. The vast majority of UCL sprains result in Tommy John or internal brace surgery, though there are exceptions. Braves righty Grant Holmes, for instance, suffered a UCL sprain last summer but went the rest/rehab route and is healthy now, set to break camp as Atlanta’s fourth starter. More often than not, even pitchers who attempt the rehab route ultimately undergo surgery, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.
In other Giants injury news, the team announced that infield prospect Parks Harber will be sidelined for the next four to six weeks due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Harber was never going to break camp with the big club — he’s not on the 40-man roster and hasn’t played above High-A — but he’s had a big spring. In 33 plate appearances, he’s slashed .357/.424/.571. The 24-year-old split the 2025 season between the High-A affiliates for the Giants and Yankees (who traded him to San Francisco in that Doval swap), hitting a combined .323/.420/.550 in 343 turns at the plate.
Baseball America ranked Harber 16th among Giants farmhands entering the season, noting that his impressive 2025 campaign put him on the prospect map after going undrafted out of UNC in 2024. He’s a bat-first prospect who’s played all four corner positions — primarily the two infield spots (with a slight edge toward third base over first base). BA’s report touts his offensive prowess while noting that he still needs to work on pulling velocity, as all of his pull-side homers came on breaking pitches and all of his homers off heaters went to center or the opposite field.
Harber will likely open the season in Double-A. His primary positions on the big league club are largely blocked, especially if Bryce Eldridge can prove he’s ready to stick in the majors, but Harber could be a nice righty-swinging corner bat off the bench or perhaps a trade chip when the deadline or next offseason rolls around.
I think this is back to back Giants articles now that have refused to acknowledge Trevor McDonald as the likely next man up/spot starter for SF.
I had the exact same thought when I that McDonald couldn’t even get a mention. I know his ML stats are a small sample, as is ST, but he’s done well in both. He’s been solid his entire MiL career as well. The 5.16 ERA in Sac doesn’t look great until it’s taken into account the average ERA in the PCL is between 5.49 and 5.69. I’d think he’d be the obvious 1st guy for any rotation injury/spot start.
I think the team had mentioned more the possibility of closing rather than starting for McDonald
I hadn’t seen that. The Giants know more than I do, but IMO he doesn’t profile as a closer. He threw 4 pitches last season substituting the cutter for the 4-seamer that he threw in 2024. The sinker averages 93 MPH. That’s not typical for a closer, but there are plenty of good closers that also didn’t.
Ballz: Haven’t heard that at all. Hopefully Walker has straightened himself out because I believe he’s the closer until he proves he can’t.
I heard Keaton Winn get a mention for a high leverage bullpen guy.
that I have heard too though he had some issues in spring
Just bc McDonald wasn’t mentioned doesn’t necessarily mean he’s been overlooked. McDonald has impressed who he needs to with the Giants. He will play a big pitching role – whether SP or RP – with the Giants this season
I’m sure he’s not been overlooked by the Giants, but I think the point was that MLBTR has continued to overlook him. How does the guy, who’s probably 1st one up for a spot start or injury replacement, not get any mention in 2 articles about the Giants pitching?
I know Susac has the edge as backup catcher but Hass has looked pretty good.
I agree. Susac’s status as a R5 probably locks him in as the backup, but it’s nice to know they have considerable depth behind the plate in case of injury, which is likely at that position.
The way more interesting transactions are yet to come. The backup OF’s. Matos, Brennan, Encarnacion, McCray, Bericoto and Oliva. Not mentioning Gilbert because I think he’ll begin in AAA. I also think Eldridge starts in AAA. Each of the remaining OF’s have different ways of helping the roster. Curious what some of you think. I also agree 100% with McDonald being next man up if a starter is needed. On another note, it was great to see the Giants players represented well at the WBC. Webb was fantastic and and he didn’t get mentioned enough for what he contributed. All we kept hearing was Skenes, Skubal and even Maclean. And “Captain Judge disappeared when it counted most.
Got to start with Matos and Jerar. Gilbert and Eldridge to AAA. Cannot see the point in being forced to jettison those two. Plenty of season left to do that.
I think there could be a spot for Oliva or Brennan, especially if the Giants make a late deal moving Matos for more pitching. But if Matos sticks and doesn’t move the meter offensively, he’ll be gone (someone will pick him up) and it sure would be great to have Oliva’s wheels and glove on the roster.
“The 24-year-old Susac hit .303/.361/.455 in 36 plate appearances this spring and is poised to make his MLB debut as Bailey’s backup this year.”
Rookie backup catchers are a career death knell.
I think Susac will be much better offensively than Huff and Knizner from last year. Susac seems a bit faster on the bases than most backup catchers. We’re going to find out soon what he brings to the table.
My point is that a rookie needs to play, especially a rookie catcher, not sit on the bench. He’ll get ~6 at bats a week, hit .180, and then get sent down, and probably never heard from again.
The previous R5 guy, Blake Sabol, paid off for the Giants. They traded him for international bonus space, which, if I’m not mistaken, helped them land Josuar Gonzalez. I hope Susac turns out to be just as valuable, whether it’s his play, or his trade value.
It might have worked for the Giants, but not for Blake. My point is that a rookie catcher sitting on the bench is bad for his career.
After watching Parks Harber for the past four weeks here in Scottsdale, he played very well…… hitting with power, a flawless glove at both third and first base positions. Once healed, he should be able to pass through AA ball fairly quick and proceed into the AAA Sacramento lineup.
Ervin Santana is my go to example for successful rest/rehabs of a damaged UCL. Some of his best years came post-injury.