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Giants Place Keaton Winn, Mike Yastrzemski On Injured List

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The Giants announced some roster moves this morning, including the news that right-hander Keaton Winn and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski have both been sidelined with injuries.  Winn has been placed on the 15-day IL with inflammation in his throwing elbow, while Yastrzemski is headed to the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain.  Both placements are retroactive to June 21.  Outfielder Luis Matos and infielder David Villar were called up from Triple-A in corresponding moves, and the Giants also sent utilityman Tyler Fitzgerald to Triple-A.

Yastrzemski left Thursday’s game due to his strain, and while oblique problems are known to have fluid timelines, the outfielder told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser (all links to X) that he doesn’t think he’ll miss much if any time beyond the minimum 10 days.  After a very slow start to his season, Yastrzemski’s bat has started to heat up over the last few weeks, bringing him to an above-average 104 wRC+ and a .224/.304/.406 slash line over 215 plate appearances.

Yaz has been the Giants’ regular right fielder when a right-handed pitcher is on the mound, but his absence will leave the team short on left-handed bats as a whole, with LaMonte Wade Jr. is also on the IL and Jung Ho Lee is gone for the season.  It isn’t an ideal situation for a team that likes to play matchups as much as the Giants, though Matos can help fill the void in the outfield overall, even though Matos is another right-handed hitter.

This is the second time Winn has visited the IL this season, as a forearm strain put him on the shelf for four weeks.  He had made three starts since his last activation from the 15-day, though the righty has struggled both before and after his IL stint, posting a 7.16 ERA across 55 1/3 innings.

As much as the Giants were hoping Winn could become a solid rotation piece in his first full Major League season, health is now the bigger question for the 26-year-old.  Winn missed the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, so a pair of injuries to his forearm/elbow area in quick succession certainly is a big cause for concern.  Past health history notwithstanding, it is also possible Winn’s current issue is just some basic soreness that can be cleared up with 15 days of rest and rehab.

Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks are now the only two healthy starters in San Francisco’s rotation, though both Blake Snell and Robbie Ray will pitch in rehab work for Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday.  Giants manager Bob Melvin told Slusser and other reporters that Snell might just need the one rehab start before being activated from the 15-day IL, if all goes well.  Kyle Harrison is rehabbing from a sprained ankle and might not need any rehab work after being placed on the IL last weekend with an ankle sprain.

Giants Place Brandon Crawford On IL With Knee Inflammation

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The Giants announced that shortstop Brandon Crawford has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 17, with left knee inflammation. Infielder David Villar was recalled in a corresponding move. Additionally, Bryce Johnson was returned to Sacramento after serving as the club’s “27th man” yesterday.

Crawford, 36, has been dealing with left knee issues on and off for over a year now. He twice went on the injured list due to that knee last summer and was shut down in Spring Training this year as well. Whether it’s due to the lingering knee problems or not, his offensive production has been sliding of late. He was above-average at the plate in 2020 and 2021 but hit .231/.308/.344 last year and is down to .207/.285/.333 here in 2023. His grades from advanced defensive metrics are also at a low ebb this year compared to previous seasons.

Middle infield already stood out as an area for the club to target at the deadline, something that president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi recently admitted after Thairo Estrada landed on the injured list due to a hand fracture. It doesn’t seem as though Crawford is in line for an extended absence, since he was hopeful of avoiding the injured list as recently as yesterday, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Since the move is retroactive, he could potentially return in just over a week. But with the middle infield already being a target area and Crawford’s pesky knee issues cropping back up again, it could perhaps only increase the club’s desire to made an addition. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently highlighted some potential names the club could look to bring aboard, though it’s possible the guys on that list capable of playing some shortstop might become higher priorities.

In the meantime, the club figures to use some combination of Villar, Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely to cover the middle infield, though none of that trio is hitting much this year. Villar has slashed .159/.244/.345 while Schmitt has a line of .224/.269/.318 and Wisely is at .198/.241/.307. The Giants are 54-41 and currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the National League, in addition to being just one game back of the Dodgers in the West division. The trade deadline is August 1.

Giants Promote Luis Matos

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The Giants announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled outfielder Luis Matos and infielder David Villar from Triple-A Sacramento. They also formally placed outfielder Mitch Haniger on the 10-day injured list following last night’s forearm fracture and optioned righty Keaton Winn to Sacramento.

The 21-year-old Matos is being thrown right into the fire, starting in center field and batting second in his MLB debut against the Cardinals and lefty Jordan Montgomery. It’s a nice vote of confidence in the former top prospect, who has bounced back from a dismal 2022 season (.215/.280/.356, mostly in High-A) to post a massive .350/.415/.561 showing between Double-A and Triple-A. The right-handed-hitting Matos has decimated left-handed pitching in particular, batting .375/.474/.729 in 57 plate appearances.

Last year’s rough showing dinged Matos’ prospect standing a bit, as he dropped off various top-100 lists after entering the ’22 season as a consensus entrant on such rankings. Baseball America still ranked him fifth among Giants farmhands heading into the season, however, tabbing him as a potential everyday outfielder if he can iron out some of the inconsistency and passivity he showed while trying to refine his approach at the plate last year. At least thus far, Matos has done just that. He’s fanned just 20 times in 249 plate appearances (8%) and draw 24 walks (9.6%).

With Haniger facing an extended absence and Matos rapidly rebuilding his stock in the minors, the latter now looks like he’ll receive a legitimate audition for an everyday role with the team moving forward. Manager Gabe Kapler said today that Haniger might require surgery, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link), though even in that scenario he’d have a chance at returning this year.

Still, it doesn’t sound as though Haniger will return to the lineup in particularly short order, so San Francisco’s front office and coaching staff will be able to use the opportunity to gauge Matos’ MLB readiness (or lack thereof). If he hits the ground running, they’ll boast a solid outfield trio of Matos, Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto, with Blake Sabol, Austin Slater, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Joc Pederson also on hand as options. In the event of further injuries and/or struggles from Matos, it’s feasible that outfield help could be an area of focus for president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi heading into this year’s trade deadline. The Giants are six games out in the National League West but are also currently in possession of the third Wild Card spot in the NL standings.

Future optional assignments can always change a player’s free-agent and arbitration trajectories. For now, however, if Matos sticks in the big leagues he’d be arbitration-eligible after the 2026 season and under club control all the way through the 2029 campaign.

Giants To Reinstate Luke Jackson

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The Giants are reinstating right-hander Luke Jackson from the injured list, reports Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News. The righty will be making his first appearance since the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2022. Infielder David Villar will be optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in an associated active roster move, reports Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Jackson was on the 60-day injured list, so the club will still need to make a corresponding move to put him back onto the 40-man roster.

Jackson was an effective middle innings arm for the Braves before the Tommy John procedure. While he’d struggled in the abbreviated 2020 season, he posted sub-4.00 ERA seasons in the two surrounding full schedules. That included a sparkling 1.98 ERA through 63 2/3 innings in 2021. Jackson punched out a solid 26.8% of opponents while inducing grounders on well over half the batted balls he allowed.

That quality performance led the Giants to take a shot on Jackson in spite of last year’s lost season. San Francisco signed him to a somewhat surprising two-year, $11.5MM free agent guarantee over the winter. He’s making $3MM this year and will be paid a $6.5MM salary in 2024 and at least a $2MM buyout on a 2025 club option. That’s a reasonable price tag for a setup type but a roll of the dice on the 31-year-old recapturing his pre-surgery form. Jackson has made five rehab appearances with Sacramento, allowing four runs with eight strikeouts and four walks through 4 1/3 innings.

Villar entered the season as San Francisco’s expected third baseman. He’d performed well as a rookie following a late-season call in 2022. The right-handed hitter has had a rough start to his ’23 campaign, however. Over 108 plate appearances, he has hit just .135/.222/.292 with four home runs and a 32.4% strikeout rate. J.D. Davis has taken hold of the third base job and pushed Villar into a depth capacity.

Giants Place Thairo Estrada On 10-Day Injured List

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The Giants placed infielder Thairo Estrada on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 26) due to a left wrist sprain.  Infielder David Villar was recalled from Triple-A to take Estrada’s place on San Francisco’s roster.

Estrada has been dealing with the injury for a few days, as The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly writes that Estrada hurt himself during a swing in Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Twins.  After trying to tough it out on Thursday, Estrada was out of the lineup on Friday and will now need at least a 10-day hiatus to recover.  The good news is that an MRI revealed just inflammation and no structural damage in Estrada’s wrist.

Estrada has quietly been one of the better all-around players in baseball this season, as only 16 players have a higher fWAR than his 1.9 total.  Beyond hitting .301/.345/.466 with six homers and stealing 13 of 16 bases, Estrada’s versatility has also been a weapon for the Giants, as he got a lot of time at shortstop when Brandon Crawford was on the injured list earlier this season.  Most of the time, Estrada has settled in as San Francisco’s regular second baseman, and he has also made a few appearances in left field.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco profiled Estrada in greater depth earlier this month, and how the Giants have gotten a ton of return out of a rather unheralded player since acquiring Estrada from the Yankees for cash considerations early in the 2021 season.

There’s no easy way to replicate Estrada’s production over even a 10-day stint, and given the Giants’ penchant for platoons, they probably won’t turn to a single player to replace Estrada.  Villar, Brett Wisely, Casey Schmitt, and Wilmer Flores could all pitch in at second base, though Schmitt has been seeing an increasing amount of time at shortstop in Crawford’s place.

Giants Shut Brandon Crawford Down Due To Knee Discomfort

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The Giants announced a slew of injury updates Monday, revealing that shortstop Brandon Crawford will be shut down from all baseball activity for the next week due to discomfort in his left knee. The team added that lefty Thomas Szapucki is seeking a second opinion on a left upper arm injury and that third baseman David Villar has been diagnosed with a mild strain in his left hip flexor. Two-way player Ronald Guzman is slated for an MRI after experiencing left forearm discomfort yesterday, and outfielder Luis Gonzalez is getting a second opinion from a spine specialist due to ongoing discomfort in his back.

Crawford, 36, is coming off his worst showing at the plate since the 2019 season, having batted just .231/.308/.344 last season (87 wRC+). That same left knee twice sent Crawford to the injured list last summer, costing him about a month overall. He was limited to 118 games and 458 plate appearances on the year. The Giants haven’t indicated whether Crawford might be sidelined to begin the 2023 season. If he’s able to return to baseball activity next Monday, he’d have 10 days to build up in advance of the Giants’ season opener on March 30.

In the event that Crawford does need to miss some time, Thairo Estrada could move over from second base to cover the shortstop position in the short-term. Estrada, who hit .260/.322/.400 in 541 plate appearances in 2022, spent 286 innings at shortstop last season — second-most on the team behind Crawford. Donovan Walton might be another option were he healthy, but he’s expected to be out until at least May as he continues recovering from last September’s shoulder surgery. Minor leaguers Casey Schmitt, 24, and Brett Wisely, 23, could also be options after posting strong showings in Double-A last year. Wisely is already on the 40-man roster. Schmitt would need to be added.

Villar, the Giants say, will be reevaluated daily, so it’s possible he’s only looking at a short-term absence. He entered camp as the favorite to win the Giants’ third base job this spring after hitting .231/.331/.455 through 181 plate appearances as a rookie in 2022, though he’s just 1-for-14 so far in Cactus League play. If Villar’s hip injury proves to be enough to keep him out, the Giants have veterans J.D. Davis and Wilmer Flores as options at the hot corner. Flores could also factor in at second base in the event that Estrada slides over to shortstop to cover for Crawford.

As for the other injuries, more information will be available following additional testing. Szapucki was originally said by manager Gabe Kapler to be dealing with elbow discomfort, but the Giants’ release today instead specified an “upper arm” injury. The former Mets southpaw, acquired alongside Davis in the deal sending Darin Ruf to Queens, tossed 13 2/3 innings of 1.98 ERA ball with the Giants following that trade and worked to a 3.11 ERA in 72 1/3 Triple-A frames between the two organizations last season. The Giants are six- or seven-deep in big league starters — Logan Webb, Alex Wood, Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling, Jakob Junis — but Szapucki represents depth both for the rotation and the bullpen.

It was already known that Gonzalez’s back injury would cause him to miss the beginning the season. As for Guzman, the former Rangers first base prospect has been hoping to prove himself a viable presence on the mound, but he’s been tagged for three runs in 3 1/3 innings this spring and is now heading for imaging after the ominous complaint of forearm discomfort.

Giants’ Brass Discusses Third Base, Catcher Situations

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Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler spoke with reporters today. They touched on a wide array of topics, offering insight into the club’s early outlooks at third base, behind the plate, and in the starting rotation.

Zaidi said the club considers David Villar the starting third baseman heading into camp (relayed by Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Area). The 26-year-old earned the first crack at securing the job after an impressive rookie season. Despite lacking much prospect pedigree, the South Florida product has consistently performed at an excellent level in the minors. He had arguably his best season with Triple-A Sacramento in 2022, connecting on 27 home runs with an incredible .275/.404/.617 showing over 84 games.

The Giants called Villar up for the first time last July. He continued to make a strong power impact, hitting nine homers over his first 181 MLB plate appearances. Villar also walked at an above-average 9.9% clip against big league pitching, though his 32% strikeout rate is alarming. Villar has run higher than average strikeout rates throughout his time in the minors as well. He’s consistently more than offset that with strong plate discipline and power, however, and his .231/.331/.455 line through his first 52 MLB games was a strong start.

Villar has primarily played third base as a minor leaguer. He also has some experience at the other corner infield spot and at second base. Zaidi indicated the Giants would continue to get Villar some work at second base this spring, allowing Kapler to pencil him into the lineup at the keystone on days when Thairo Estrada moves to shortstop to give Brandon Crawford a day off.

The Giants have J.D. Davis and Wilmer Flores on hand as potential third base alternatives. Each of Villar, Flores and Davis hits from the right side. Davis has had neutral platoon splits over the course of his career, while Flores has fared better against left-handed pitching as most righty hitters do. The Giants look set to turn to left-handed hitting LaMonte Wade Jr. and Joc Pederson at first base and designated hitter, respectively.

Both Wade and Pederson have struggled against lefties in their careers, leaving opportunities for Davis and Flores to factor in at those positions. Aside from Crawford, the only left-handed hitting infielders on the roster are Isan Díaz and Brett Wisely. Neither player is established at the MLB level yet and both can still be optioned to the minor leagues.

There’s a fair bit of possible fluidity to the group, but the 26-year-old Villar will get a chance to seize everyday playing time if he can replicate or improve upon his rookie showing. The catcher situation could be even more up in the air. Kapler suggested there’s a true four-way competition for reps behind the plate and indicated no one in camp is assured of an MLB job (link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle).

Former second overall pick Joey Bart was the primary starter last season. He connected on 11 home runs with a .215/.296/.364 line over 291 trips to the plate. Bart’s power has long drawn plaudits from evaluators, though his overall offense at the MLB level has been below-average thanks to huge strikeout tallies. He fanned in 38.5% of his plate appearances last season, the third-highest rate among players with at least 250 trips. Bart is still only 26 and has hit the ball hard when he’s made contact. It’s certainly not out of the question he can be a productive #1 catcher, but he’ll likely have to take a step forward with his bat-to-ball skills to take a firm claim to that job.

The only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Rule 5 draftee Blake Sabol, whom the club has to keep on the MLB roster or place on waivers and offer back to the Pirates. Sabol has no MLB experience, splitting last season between the top two levels of the minor leagues. He was excellent at both stops, combining for a .284/.363/.497 line over 513 trips to the plate. The 25-year-old also saw some corner outfield work in the minors, but Kapler informed reporters the Giants strictly consider him a catcher.

Bart and Sabol are joined in camp by a pair of more experienced non-roster invitees. Last year’s backup Austin Wynns accepted an outright assignment after clearing waivers last month. He’s coming off a .259/.313/.358 showing across 66 MLB games. Two-time Gold Glove award winner Roberto Pérez is also in camp after signing a minor league contract as a free agent. He lost virtually all of last season with the Pirates after suffering a serve hamstring strain. Pérez is just a .207/.298/.360 career hitter but regarded as one of the sport’s best defensive catchers.

On the other side of the ball, Kapler informed reporters that righty Anthony DeSclafani enters camp healthy after undergoing surgery on his right ankle last July (link via Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News). That kept the veteran hurler to five starts in the first season of a three-year free agent deal. DeSclafani had been a crucial member of the starting five the year prior, tossing 167 2/3 innings of 3.17 ERA ball to earn a $36MM guarantee over the 2021-22 offseason.

A healthy DeSclafani should vie for a rotation spot, although it’s possible he’s outside the top five options on Opening Day. Logan Webb is the staff ace, followed by Alex Cobb in the second spot. Offseason signees Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling are penciled into the middle of the group. That leaves DeSclafani and Alex Wood in the mix for the fifth spot. Zaidi indicated the club could use a six-man starting staff on occasion but cast doubt about the possibility of deploying that permanently. It’s possible one of DeSclafani or Wood starts the season in the bullpen if everyone’s healthy, although a Spring Training or early-season injury could clarify the decision.

San Francisco is already preparing to push Jakob Junis back into a multi-inning relief role after he started 17 of 23 games last season. Top prospect Kyle Harrison figures to get a rotation look at some point during the year, although he’ll open the season with Sacramento.

Every Team’s Initial September Call-Ups

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Each season as the calendar flips to September, we see a flurry of transactions around Major League Baseball. Active roster sizes jump from 26 to 28 for the season’s final month, with teams permitted to bring up no more than one additional pitcher. We’ve already covered a host of transactions with 40-man roster implications throughout the day at MLBTR. Here’s a full round-up of teams’ initial September roster moves.

American League West

Houston Astros:

Los Angeles Angels:

Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners

  • Reinstated LHP Matthew Boyd from 60-day injured list
  • Recalled OF Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Texas Rangers

  • Selected contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Recalled OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Josh Sborz to 60-day injured list

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

  • Recalled OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Recalled RHP Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Corresponding move: None required

Cleveland Guardians

Detroit Tigers

Kansas City Royals

  • Selected contract of RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Omaha
  • Recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha
  • Corresponding move: None required

Minnesota Twins

  • Added LHP Austin Davis (previously claimed off waivers from Red Sox) to active roster
  • Selected contract of OF Billy Hamilton from Triple-A St. Paul
  • Corresponding move: Transferred OF Trevor Larnach to 60-day injured list

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

  • Selected contract of 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Recalled LHP DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Corresponding move: Designated INF Richie Martin for assignment

Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees

  • Recalled SS Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
  • Activated INF Marwin Gonzalez from paternity list
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Tampa Bay Rays

  • Reinstated RHP Matt Wisler from the 15-day injured list
  • Recalled INF Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Toronto Blue Jays

  • Recalled RHP Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo
  • Added OF Bradley Zimmer (claimed off waivers from Phillies this week) to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

  • Recalled INF Alan Trejo from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Reinstated LHP Clayton Kershaw from 15-day injured list
  • Recalled 3B Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Diego Padres

  • Recalled INF Matt Beaty from Triple-A El Paso
  • Recalled RHP Reiss Knehr from Triple-A El Paso
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Francisco Giants

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

  • Selected contract of RHP Jeremiah Estrada from Triple-A Iowa
  • Recalled INF David Bote from Triple-A Iowa
  • Corresponding move: Transferred Wade Miley from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Cincinnati Reds

Milwaukee Brewers

  • Recalled RHP Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville
  • Recalled OF Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A Nashville
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Recalled OF Calvin Mitchell from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

St. Louis Cardinals

  • Selected contract of OF Ben DeLuzio from Triple-A Memphis
  • Recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League East

Atlanta Braves

  • Reinstated IF Orlando Arcia from 10-day injured list
  • Added recently-claimed RHP Jesse Chavez to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Miami Marlins*

New York Mets

Philadelphia Phillies

  • Selected contract of RHP Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Recalled C Donny Sands from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Washington Nationals

  • Recalled C Tres Barrera from Triple-A Rochester
  • Recalled RHP Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester
  • Corresponding moves: None required

*Marlins moves reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link)

Giants Reinstate Brandon Crawford, Joc Pederson; Designate Dixon Machado

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The Giants announced that shortstop Brandon Crawford has been activated from the 10-day injured list, while outfielder Joc Pederson is also back after being activated from the seven-day concussion IL.  To create roster space, San Francisco optioned infielder David Villar to Triple-A and designated infielder Dixon Machado for assignment.

Crawford has been battling soreness in his left knee for most of the season, and the injury has resulted in two trips to the IL for the veteran shortstop within the last six weeks.  This latest IL stint sidelined Crawford for a little over three weeks, and it is possible that the lingering nature of this problem could lead to Crawford getting a few more days off than usual over the final two months of the regular season.

Coming off a career year in 2021, Crawford’s knee issues could be partially to blame for his dropoff this season, as the shortstop is hitting only .215/.297/.332 over 279 plate appearances.  There’s still time for Crawford to get on track and finish the year in more respectable fashion, even if it might be too late for the Giants to get back into the wild card race.

With the Giants moving some veteran players at the trade deadline, it is quite possible he might’ve been moved had it not been for his concussion symptoms.  The good news, however, is that Pederson is able to make a quick return after hitting the concussion-IL on July 29, so he doesn’t appear to be dealing with any lingering after-effects.  The slugger is hitting .242/.319/.492 with 17 home runs over 285 PA, and his first-half performance earned a slot on the NL All-Star roster.

It could be a very short stay in the Giants organization for Machado, who was just acquired in a trade with the Cubs on July 31.  San Francisco was in a crunch for shortstop depth with Crawford and Thairo Estrada both on the IL, and thus Machado provided some short-term help.  Machado’s five games with the Giants represented his first MLB playing time since 2018, as he has since been playing in the KBO League and with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.

Giants Promote David Villar

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3:35PM: The Giants have officially selected Villar’s contract.  Right-hander Yunior Marte was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, creating an open 26-man roster spot.

12:31PM: As first reported by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Giants prospect David Villar is in Phoenix and will be activated ahead of today’s game against the Diamondbacks. Villar, who’s primarily played third base in the minors but has some positional versatility, has logged a .284/.409/.633 triple-slash — and 21 home runs — in 281 trips to the plate for Triple-A Sacramento so far this year.

It isn’t yet clear what position Villar will play in his first taste of the majors, but with both Thairo Estrada and Brandon Crawford on the IL and Evan Longoria entrenched at third, he’ll most likely slot in at second for the time being. He’s played 98 innings at the position, all of them this year.

An unheralded 11th-round pick out of the University of South Florida in the 2018 amateur draft, Villar hasn’t drawn a lot of prospect fanfare but has hit his way onto the big-league radar. While his 2022 performance in Triple-A has taken him to new heights, he showed significant power last year as well, hitting 20 homers at Double-A Richmond en route to a .275/.374/.507 overall line.

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