Notes

AL East Notes: Rays, Franco, Hall

By Nick Deeds | March 26, 2023 at 5:23pm CDT

Rotation plans for the Rays came into focus today as the club optioned Luis Patino and Yonny Chirinos to Triple-A, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter Links). That leaves left-hander Josh Fleming in line for the fifth starter’s spot behind Shane McClanahan, Jeffery Springs, Drew Rasmussen, Zach Eflin while Tyler Glasnow is on the shelf with a strained oblique.

Fleming, 27 in May, has largely struggled in his limited time with the Rays since his debut in the 2020 season, posting a 4.93 ERA (81 ERA+) with a 4.33 FIP in 171 2/3 innings of work. Of his 43 appearances with the Rays, 19 of those have come as a starter. While he has yet to establish himself as a quality option in the major leagues, it’s somewhat easy to see why the Rays chose him for the fifth starter job, as both Patino and Chirinos were torched this spring: Patino allowed 12 runs in just 9 2/3 innings while walking seven batters, while Chirinos gave up nine runs in 12 1/3 innings of work with six walks of his own. Both righties will begin the season in Triple-A and attempt to right the ship before likely returning to the majors sometime this year.

Injury Notes: Nevin, Severino, Houser, Suarez, Suzuki

By Mark Polishuk | March 26, 2023 at 12:18pm CDT

As expected, the Tigers will place Tyler Nevin on the 10-day injured list to begin the season. Nevin suffered a Grade 1 oblique strain a little less than three weeks ago, making it doubtful that the 25-year-old would be fully recovered in time for Opening Day. However, it is possible Nevin won’t miss much time, as Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press) that Nevin is on pace to start a rehab assignment this week.

Even a brief IL stint isn’t an ideal way for Nevin to begin his tenure with his new team, as he was only acquired by the Tigers in a swap with the Orioles back in December. Nevin’s ability to play both corner infield and outfield positions makes him an interesting commodity on Detroit’s roster, as this versatility and Nevin’s right-handed bat made him a natural platoon partner or complement to such left-handed batters as Austin Meadows, Akil Baddoo, Nick Maton, or Kerry Carpenter.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

Luis Severino is another player headed for a season-opening IL stint, as the Yankees right-hander has suffered a lat strain. This particular injury is a concern given that Severino missed over two months of the 2022 season with another lat strain, but the pitcher told reporters (including Greg Joyce of the New York Post) that this strain in lower in his back than last year’s problem and doesn’t seem as serious. Severino suggested that he could miss “three or four starts,” but a more specific timeline isn’t known, since “I’m going to be a little bit cautious, but I think the Yankees are going to be more cautious than me.” Last summer, Severino expressed both surprise and public displeasure with the Yankees’ decision to shift him from the 15-day to the 60-day IL, as he expecting a quicker return to action.
Brewers right-hander Adrian Houser left his spring outing yesterday due to groin tightness, and the club will further examine his status today. The same injury bothered Houser both earlier in Spring Training and at the end of last season, resulting in an IL stint. Considering the recurring nature of the groin problem and the close proximity to Opening Day, it certainly seems possible the Milwaukee could start Houser on the IL once more. As the odd man out of a deep Brewers rotation, Houser had been tabbed for a relief role to begin the season, with the understanding that he is also the team’s unofficial sixth starter in the event of an injury.
Ranger Suarez played catch on Friday and Saturday, telling Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer that his left arm still had some tightness but no pain. In general, Suarez felt “nothing too bad” and his forearm was doing “better.” Despite this fairly positive update, it still seems unlikely that Suarez will be able to avoid an IL trip given how the Phillies will probably be cautious with a case of elbow inflammation. The left-hander was projected to be either the third or fourth starter in Philadelphia’s rotation this season, but with his likely absence for part of April, Bailey Falter will step into that vacancy in the starting five. Matt Strahm or Michael Plassmeyer could take the fifth starter job, as top prospect Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sanchez, and Nick Nelson are also battling injuries.
The Cubs haven’t yet decided how they’ll replace Seiya Suzuki on their season-opening roster, as Suzuki will need a 10-day IL stint after missing the last month of Spring Training due to an oblique strain. Suzuki is making such steady development in his rehab work that even though he’ll miss some time during the regular season, it may not be all that much time. “Whether you are trying to put somebody on the [40-man] roster that’s not on it or trying to fill a gap for 10 days is a big deal,” Cubs manager David Ross told Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times and other reporters. “And it’s a big decision. We have so much talent and a lot of depth here. We would like to keep as much as we possibly can because of the long journey we’re about to start.”

Orioles Notes: Givens, Tate, McCann

By Mark Polishuk | March 26, 2023 at 10:08am CDT

Mychal Givens’ status for Opening Day is uncertain, as the veteran reliever is battling knee soreness and hasn’t pitched since March 16. His readiness is perhaps even more doubtful after this morning’s throwing session, as Givens was working off a mound and throwing to batters before cutting the session short. According to reporters on the scene (including MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko), Givens threw only 10 pitches and then left the mound in visible anger, even throwing his glove to the ground.

A trip to the 15-day injured list is looking increasingly likely in the wake of today’s news, and it’s a tough setback considering that Givens seemed to be relatively close to returning. Givens played catch on flat ground on consecutive days, and told Kubatko and other reporters yesterday that “for me, just getting the reps in is what I need, even if it’s a back field game. If I can get a couple more outings just to get my feet to rhythm and body in rhythm….[I can] get back to being in game mode.”

In a relatively quiet Baltimore offseason, Givens was one of the team’s more high-profile additions, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5MM in guaranteed money (there is also a mutual option for 2024). The 32-year-old was signed to bring some veteran experience to a pretty young Orioles bullpen, and Givens still has plenty to offer on the mound, after posting a 3.38 ERA over 61 1/3 innings with the Cubs and Mets in 2022.

Dillon Tate is another Orioles reliever facing an injury problem, as the righty is still recovering from a forearm/flexor strain suffered in November. Manager Brandon Hyde said that Tate is tentatively planned to return by the middle of May, so while Tate will begin the season on the 15-day injured list, the O’s haven’t considered placing him on the 60-day IL. It is possible that a 60-day placement might yet come if Tate hits any setbacks, but he has seemingly been making pretty steady process, including a mound session yesterday.

On the catching front, James McCann has been bothered by some soreness in his left side, and his Opening Day availability might also be in doubt. “We’ve got some big steps to overcome these next couple days to be sure,” McCann told MLB.com’s Jake Rill and other reporters, “but again, it’s one of those things, for me, better be safe than sorry.”

McCann is unfortunately no stranger to side injuries, as he missed just under a month of the 2022 due to a left oblique strain. While this current soreness is also on his left side, McCann said his current issue is in a different area, and “it’s only minor” compared to his strain.

The Orioles acquired McCann in a December trade with the Mets, as New York also included $19MM of the $24MM owed to the catcher over the 2023-24 seasons. McCann will give Baltimore some veteran catching depth behind Adley Rutschman, but the O’s will have to dig deeper down the depth chart if McCann ends up having to spend any time on the 10-day IL to fully recover. Anthony Bemboom and Mark Kolozsvary have some MLB experience and are currently slated for the Orioles’ Triple-A team, though neither backstop is on the 40-man roster.

NL West Notes: Gonsolin, Profar, Senzatela, Cron, Cobb, D’backs

By Mark Polishuk | March 26, 2023 at 8:10am CDT

Tony Gonsolin suffered an ankle sprain earlier this month, and the injury is already set to place the right-hander on the 15-day injured list to begin the season. The Dodgers have yet to share a more specific recovery timeline for Gonsolin, but The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya writes that late April probably represents the earliest we could see Gonsolin make his 2023 debut. On Friday, Gonsolin did some mound work for the first time since his ankle injury.

Losing a pitcher of Gonsolin’s caliber for at least a month isn’t news for the Dodgers, but the team is better equipped than most to withstand such a significant loss to the rotation. Los Angeles had a pair of promising young arms competing for the right to be Gonsolin’s replacement, with Ryan Pepiot getting the nod over Michael Grove. Pepiot will get a chance to build on the 36 1/3 innings he threw in his MLB debut season, and establish himself as the team’s top depth option in the event of future injuries.

AL West Notes: Angels, Astros, Brantley

By Nick Deeds | March 26, 2023 at 7:11am CDT

Angels manager Phil Nevin indicated to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that the club would not be naming right-hander Carlos Estevez as the closer to open the season, instead opting for a committee approach to open the season. Estevez signed with the Angels earlier this offseason on a two-year deal and was expected to step into the closer role to open the season, but that does not appear to be the plan, at least for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Still, Nevin told reporters that Estevez “is definitely going to get some big outs late in the game most of the year for us,” leaving the door open to the right-hander remaining the conversation to close games for the Angels this season. The Angels have a fairly deep group of pitchers with late inning experience at the back of their bullpen in addition to Estevez that includes Ryan Tepera, Matt Moore, Aaron Loup and Jimmy Herget.

The Angels were aggressive in acquiring shorter-term assets this offseason in order to immediately improve the club during two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s final year of club control. The additions of Hunter Renfroe, Gio Urshela, and Brandon Drury lengthened the lineup and provided depth in case of injuries while the club signed Tyler Anderson to deepen the starting rotation. The additions of Estevez and Moore to the bullpen this offseason certainly improved upon the group of relievers the Angels would’ve otherwise had, but it’s an open question whether or not they did enough to make up for the still-lingering loss of Raisel Iglesias, who was dealt to the Braves at the last trade deadline.

Red Sox Notes: Alfaro, Goodrum, Tapia, Allen

By Darragh McDonald | March 25, 2023 at 4:12pm CDT

Catcher Jorge Alfaro is in camp with the Red Sox on a minor league deal and it was reported about three weeks ago that he has an upward mobility clause in his contract. Today, Chris Cotillo of MassLive has the details on how that will play out.

If Alfaro is not added to the club’s 40-man roster today, he can request that the Sox email the other 29 clubs, which they must do within 24 hours. Those other clubs will then have 24 hours to express their interest in giving Alfaro a spot on their own respective rosters. If one or multiple clubs are willing to give Alfaro a spot, Boston has 72 hours to decide whether or not to add Alfaro to their roster or let him join one of the other interested teams. If more than one team is interested, the Sox can choose which one he goes to.

The Red Sox only have two catchers on their 40-man roster at the moment, who are Reese McGuire and Connor Wong. The latter of those two was dealing with a hamstring strain earlier in spring, which seemed to open the door for Alfaro to get a job. However, Wong now seems healthy and back in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster. The Sox would surely love to keep Alfaro around as depth in the event another injury pops up, but it will depend on his level of interest from other clubs around the league.

Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reports that utility player Niko Goodrum also has an upward mobility clause that gets going today, though it’s not known if it will take the exact same shape as Alfaro’s. The 31-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on the heels of a rough season with the Astros. He hit .116/.156/.163 last year while striking out in 51.1% of his 45 plate appearances. He was optioned by the Astros but an injury limited him to just 20 minor league games for the year. He was released by Houston and the Red Sox took a flier on him but he’s hitting just .178/.275/.178 in spring so far. He can play all over the diamond but likely has steep odds of making the team, as he’s competing against guys who already have roster spots. Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran are candidates for a backup outfield job, while Bobby Dalbec and Yu Chang are potential bench infielders.

Another option for a job with the Red Sox is outfielder Raimel Tapia, who’s also in camp on a minor league deal. Hatfield adds that Tapia can opt-out of his deal on Monday if not added to the roster. Tapia was with the Blue Jays last year and hit .265/.292/.380 for a wRC+ of 90. With the Sox moving Enrique Hernández to cover shortstop while Trevor Story is injured, they have some uncertainty in center field. Adam Duvall is set to be the regular option there, though the 34-year-old has never seen extended time there. Tapia has primarily been a left fielder in his career, though he did play center in 38 games last year and the Sox are reportedly open to using him there as well. Perhaps that ability to play center gives him an edge in the battle for bench jobs in Boston, though he’s not on the 40-man right now. The club will evidently have to make a decision in the next couple of days or they could watch him walk away from his contract. He’s having a nice spring, hitting .325/.372/.600 thus far.

The Sox currently have a full 40-man roster and would have to open up some spots if they want to add anyone from this group. Should any of this group not make the club and then end up sticking around, they will have more options to opt out in the future. Per Hatfield, Goodrum can opt out on May 1 and July 1, Alfaro on June 1 and July 1 and Tapia on July 1. Additionally, outfielder Greg Allen has an upward mobility clause on May 15 and June 15.

Blue Jays Notes: White, Bullpen, Pearson

By Nick Deeds | March 25, 2023 at 3:55pm CDT

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters today, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, that right-hander Mitch White is dealing with elbow inflammation. The injury seems likely to force White to start the season on the injured list, as he had already been slowed earlier this spring by a shoulder impingement.

White, 28, was acquired by Toronto in a deal with the Dodgers last summer and struggled down the stretch, posting a 7.74 ERA in 43 big league innings with the Blue Jays last year. Despite those concerning numbers, White pitched a fair bit better than they would indicate. A sky-high BABIP of .368 and a strand rate of just 54.3% during his time pitching for Toronto last year help to explain his solid 3.76 FIP even as his strikeout rate dropped to just 15.3% with the Blue Jays. White also looked better in the first half of the year with Los Angeles, posting a 3.70 ERA with a 19.8% strikeout rate in 56 innings of work for the Dodgers.

Given his success with the Dodgers and unfortunate luck in his first stint with the Blue Jays, White seemed likely to make the bullpen as the primary long relief option for the club. With that no longer feasible, Matheson notes that right-hander Zach Pop appears poised to make the Opening Day roster. Pop impressed in 39 innings of work in 2022 split between Toronto and Miami, recording a sterling 2.77 ERA largely backed up by his 2.96 FIP.

While this set-up would leave the Blue Jays without a traditional long reliever in their bullpen, Schneider seems unperturbed by this, telling reporters that both Pop and fellow righty Trevor Richards, who opened four games for the Jays last year as a spot starter, can both be options to go multiple innings if necessary.

Schneider’s comments come on the heels of another round of cuts from Blue Jays camp, including former top prospect Nate Pearson. The right-handed Pearson, now 26, missed most of the 2022 season with mononucleosis after struggling to a 5.18 ERA in 33 big league innings across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Now a full-time reliever, Pearson figures to get another chance in the big leagues at some point this season, but that opportunity will not come on Opening Day.

Also among today’s cuts was right-hander Zach Thompson, who Toronto acquired from the Pirates earlier this offseason after pitching to a 5.18 ERA in 121 2/3 innings in a swing role for Pittsburgh last year. Thompson figures to be a depth option for the Blue Jays’s rotation this year alongside players like Thomas Hatch and Bowden Francis, who were also among today’s cuts from big league camp.

Padres Injury Notes: Engel, Soto, Nola, Bogaerts, Musgrove

By Mark Polishuk | March 25, 2023 at 2:50pm CDT

Adam Engel suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday’s Cactus League game, putting his availability for the Padres’ Opening Day roster in severe jeopardy. “Hamstrings can be a little bit [tricky] so we’ll see how he progresses, but…I think it’d be tough for him to make another game here in Spring Training,” Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters, including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Engel’s progress was already slowed by a calf strain earlier in camp, and the outfielder has played in only six Spring Training games. Between this lack of ramp-up period and the time it’ll take for Engel to recover from his current hamstring issue, a stint on the 10-day injured list certainly looks probable for Engel at the beginning of the season.

The Padres signed Engel to a one-year deal this winter with an eye towards using the veteran as a fourth outfielder, given Engel’s strong track record as a defender. With Fernando Tatis Jr. still having to serve 20 games left on his PED suspension, Engel was tapped for a good amount of playing time in April, but it is now possible Tatis might get back onto the field before Engel does, depending on the severity of the hamstring issue.

In better news for San Diego’s outfield, Juan Soto might be able to avoid the IL in the wake of the mild oblique strain that sidelined him last weekend. The Padres have naturally been very careful with Soto, but he was making some light throws in the outfield and taking dry swings yesterday, in a positive step this early in his recovery process from any kind of oblique problem.

With some cautious optimism about Soto and now some doubt over Engel, it still seems as though the Padres will have at least one outfield job available on the Opening Day roster. Jose Azocar and Brandon Dixon are the internal choices, and perhaps more than one of David Dahl, Tim Lopes, and Rougned Odor could have their minor league contracts selected to the roster. To help his chances of making the team, Odor recently saw some action in left field, despite never playing in the outfield before during his pro career.

Like Soto, Austin Nola might also be in the Opening Day lineup despite an ominous late-spring setback, as Nola was hit in the face by a Michael Fulmer pitch on Sunday and suffered a fractured nose and three stitches. While that diagnosis isn’t exactly good, Nola was “so glad it’s what it is and not the eyes, a concussion or any of that stuff,” he told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. The catcher might now even get back into game action before Spring Training is over, as Nola caught Seth Lugo’s bullpen session yesterday.

Xander Bogaerts received a cortisone shot in his left wrist, and isn’t expected to play again until Sunday. As Melvin told Sanders and company, “there’s no concern, [Bogaerts] has one of these a spring,” due to periodic soreness in his wrist. The prized signing of San Diego’s offseason, Bogaerts is in no danger of missing his first Opening Day in a Padres uniform.

One player guaranteed to miss some time is Joe Musgrove, who suffered an unfortunate fluke injury in late February when a weight-room accident resulted in a broken left big toe. The Padres ace’s recovery timeline has become more clear as he has been rehabbing the injury, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes (via Twitter) that Musgrove will hit another important checkpoint when he pitches in a minor league spring game on Monday.

The right-hander will miss relatively little time, as Acee notes that Musgrove is being tentatively scheduled to make his season debut on either April 11 or April 16. However, the Padres still face a rotation crunch with Musgrove sidelined and Yu Darvish still properly ramping up after his usual spring routine was interrupted by the World Baseball Classic. As a result, San Diego might deploy a six-man rotation to help manage arms during an unusually busy early schedule — the Padres play games on 24 of the first 25 days of the new season. Blake Snell, Nick Martinez, Michael Wacha, Jay Groome, Lugo, and Darvish would comprise the rotation until Musgrove’s return could shuffle things up.

Marlins Notes: Iglesias, Gurriel, Sanchez, De La Cruz, Cooper

By Mark Polishuk | March 25, 2023 at 10:52am CDT

The Marlins seem to be “leaning toward” only breaking camp with one of Yuli Gurriel or Jose Iglesias, according to Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. The two veterans recently signed minor league contracts and joined the Marlins’ spring camp as non-roster invitees, and perhaps due to that late start (both players signed on March 9), it isn’t unsurprising that neither Gurriel or Iglesias have hit well in their small sample size of Spring Training at-bats. A decision will have to be made soon, since both Gurriel and Iglesias can enact opt-out clauses in their minor league deals if Miami doesn’t let them know who or who isn’t making the Opening Day roster.

Gurriel was signed to either back up Garrett Cooper at first base or (perhaps ideally) join in at least a timeshare, if Cooper stays healthy and Gurriel rebounds to his pre-2022 levels of offense. Miami signed Iglesias to provide further depth at shortstop, since after Miguel Rojas was traded to the Dodgers, utilityman Joey Wendle is expected to handle the bulk of shortstop duty despite a relative lack of experience at the position.

Of the two, it would seem like Gurriel has the advantage, Jackson noted in a tweet today. Manager Skip Schumaker suggested that utilityman Jon Berti could be utilized at shortstop against left-handed pitching while Wendle faced righties, which might be a cleaner situation for the Marlins than including Iglesias on the roster and finding him playing time. In terms of other shortstop candidates, the Fish have also already selected the contract of another minor league signing in Garrett Hampson, plus Jordan Groshans and Jacob Amaya are at Triple-A.

The club’s decision on Gurriel or Iglesias is also influenced by the fact that both Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz now seem like good bets to make the Opening Day roster. It already seemed like Sanchez (who is out of minor league options) would make the room, but De La Cruz’s status was a little more tenuous since he still has a minor league option remaining. This means that Miami might eventually send De La Cruz to Triple-A at some point in 2023, but using De La Cruz and Sanchez in a left field platoon seems like the team’s preferred opening heading into Opening Day. Having an extra outfielder on the roster is also helpful since Jorge Soler will mostly be a DH this season, and Jazz Chisholm’s ability to stick as the regular center fielder is still up in the air, given his lack of experience at the position.

Returning to the first base picture, the position remains a long-term question for the Marlins. Jackson and Mish report that the team hasn’t had any talks with Cooper about an extension, making it seem likely that Cooper will hit free agency as scheduled following the 2023 season. Given Cooper’s age (32), injury history, and his past linkage to some trade rumors, it isn’t surprising that Miami is perhaps looking to move onwards, though Cooper has been a quietly productive player when healthy. Before signing Gurriel, the Marlins explored some bigger-name first base options this offseason, including such free agents and trade targets as Jose Abreu, Josh Bell, and Triston Casas. Depending on how the Chisholm/center field experiment plays out, it is also possible that the Marlins might ultimately install Luis Arraez back at first base.

Giants Notes: Perez, Sabol, Hjelle, Johnson, Haniger, Cobb, Bishop

By Mark Polishuk | March 25, 2023 at 8:52am CDT

The Giants’ 26-man roster is taking shape, as president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has indicated that the club will break camp with at least two players from outside the 40-man. In speaking with reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area) over the last couple of days, Zaidi hinted that catcher Roberto Perez and outfielder Bryce Johnson will each make the team. Perez signed a minor league deal with San Francisco this winter, while Johnson was outrighted off the 40-man back in November.

Perez has “done a great job, the pitchers love him,” Zaidi said. Since Perez only played 21 games last season due to hamstring surgery, Zaidi noted that “I think really the evaluation has just been from a health standpoint, how he’s moving around, how his shoulder feels, how his lower body feels…and how much of the catching would we think he can handle. He’s felt really good and he’s ready to catch more, so that part of the evaluation has been very positive.”

Because Perez is an Article XX(b) free agent, today marks the first of three automatic opt-out dates within Perez’s minor league contract, but that looks like it will be a moot point given the Giants’ apparent desire to put him on their Opening Day roster. Perez will be one of three catchers on the 26-man (along with Joey Bart and Rule 5 Draft pick Blake Sabol), though Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler have both intimated that the team probably isn’t likely to have a three-catcher formulation for all season, or perhaps even for very long into the season.

There’s plenty of uncertainty behind the plate for the Giants, given that former top-prospect Bart has yet to establish himself as a true regular at the big league level. As such, the Giants brought Perez and Austin Wynns into camp as non-roster invitees, and Slusser writes that Wynns isn’t yet out of the running either. Since Bart still has a minor league option remaining, it’s possible he could yet be moved down to Triple-A for more seasoning.

As a Rule 5 player, Sabol must remain on San Francisco’s active roster for the entire season or else be offered back to the Pirates, his original team. Sabol’s roster chances are improved by his positional versatility, since he can also play the outfield in addition to catching. With the Giants’ outfield thinned out by injuries, it has opened the door for both Sabol and Johnson to make the Opening Day roster, even if Zaidi said that the club is ultimately still prioritizing Sabol as a catcher.

“When Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater get back, Blake’s got to fit more firmly in the catching mix,” Zaidi said. “For us to get through the full season with Blake on the roster, he’s going to have to be able to prove himself to be a viable Major League catcher, and I think we’ve seen a lot of progress with that.”

Luis Gonzalez will miss at least half the season due to back surgery, while Slater will begin the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain. Haniger suffered a Grade 1 oblique strain two weeks ago and the Giants had been hopeful that the outfielder would recover in time for Opening Day, but it now seems as if Haniger will need at least a brief IL stint to fully recover.

Gonzalez will be placed on the 60-day injured list prior to Opening Day, joining Thomas Szapucki and Luke Jackson as longer-term injury absences for the Giants. With three 40-man roster spots opened by these forthcoming 60-man placements, the Giants will have plenty of room to select the contracts of Perez, Johnson, and possibly Wynns or any other minor league signings. Given how actively Zaidi searches the waiver wire, it also wouldn’t be a surprise if San Francisco adds a player from outside the organization who becomes available when another team makes an end-of-camp roster cut.

As for spots on the 26-man roster, Alex Cobb isn’t yet a guarantee to avoid the injured list, as the veteran righty is still battling some knee soreness after being hit with a Miguel Vargas line drive on March 11. Cobb was able to pitch again five days later but hasn’t pitched since, so the Giants could perhaps place him on the IL to both provide more recovery time and to give the team more roster flexibility. San Francisco has two off-days within the first six days of the regular season schedule, thus delaying the club’s need for a fifth starter.

If Cobb is sidelined, it would make it a bit easier for San Francisco to fit right-hander Sean Hjelle onto the roster, though Zaidi said that “I think he could be on the team in either configuration” regardless of Cobb’s status. A second-round pick for the Giants in the 2018 draft, Hjelle has had unspectacular numbers in the minors as a starter, though he did climb the ladder and make his MLB debut with 25 relief innings in 2022.

Hjelle was deployed as a long reliever and as a bulk pitcher behind an opener, so the Giants might be eyeing him as something of a piggyback option to keep starters’ arms fresh early in the season. Regardless of role, Hjelle has certainly looked the part of a big league-caliber pitcher this spring, with a 1.80 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 15 innings, with only two walks allowed.

The news isn’t good for another recent high draft pick, as Pavlovic reports that outfielder Hunter Bishop will require elbow surgery. It would seem that Bishop is facing either a full Tommy John procedure or the better-case scenario of an elbow-brace surgery, yet Pavlovic notes that Bishop’s status won’t be known until the surgery is actually underway. Bishop was the 10th overall pick of the 2019 draft and was still drawing top-100 attention as recently as the 2021 preseason, but he has been hampered by injuries. Between his health problems and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Bishop has played in only 134 minor league games since being drafted.

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