Giants second baseman Donovan Solano exited their game against the Phillies on Wednesday with a right calf strain, manager Gabe Kapler announced (Twitter links via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Kapler admitted that the injury could lead to an IL stint for Solano, who’s off to a .300/.333/.380 start in 54 plate appearances this year. Should he land on the shelf, Tommy La Stella, Mauricio Dubon and Wilmer Flores would be candidates to fill in at the keystone. Brandon Crawford was also removed from this afternoon’s game early, but it seems his issue isn’t as severe. The longtime San Francisco shortstop felt some tightness in his side and was pulled for precautionary reasons, Kapler said (via Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic).
Giants Rumors
Giants Designate Trevor Gott For Assignment
The Giants announced that they’ve designated right-hander Trevor Gott for assignment and optioned lefty Sam Selman to their alternate training site. The pair of moves makes room for lefty Jake McGee and righty Logan Webb to be reinstated from the injured list.
This is the second time since the offseason that the Giants have designated Gott, who lasted just one day on their roster this time. The Giants selected Gott heading into Monday’s game against the Phillies, though he didn’t make an appearance. Now, with McGee and Webb back from a brief stay on the COVID list, he’s once again in DFA limbo.
The 28-year-old Gott is in his third season in the San Francisco organization, with which he saw significant action in 2019, totaling 52 2/3 innings. The Giants’ reliance on Gott has dwindled since then, however. All told, Gott has pitched to a 5.46 ERA (with a much better 4.23 SIERA) and a 24 percent strikeout rate against a 9.2 percent walk rate in 64 1/3 frames as a Giant.
Giants Select Trevor Gott
The Giants have selected the contract of right-hander Trevor Gott, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group was among those to report. The club also recalled left-hander Sam Selman and optioned outfielder Steven Duggar and catcher Chadwick Tromp. With hurlers Jake McGee and Logan Webb on the COVID list, the Giants won’t have to make a corresponding 40-man move to clear room for Gott.
Gott and Selman will give the Giants’ bullpen a pair of fresh arms after their relievers totaled 11 2/3 innings over the weekend in the team’s three-game series against the Marlins. The 28-year-old Gott was a regular in San Francisco’s bullpen in each of the previous two seasons, but the club designated him for assignment in February and then retained him after he cleared waivers.
In 2019, his first season with the Giants, Gott threw 52 2/3 innings of 4.44 ERA ball, but he finished with a more palatable 3.73 SIERA and posted above-average strikeout and walk percentages of 26.6 and 7.9, respectively. Gott wasn’t able to build on the positives last season, though, as he yielded 13 earned runs on 13 hits (including seven homers) across 11 2/3 frames. He also ended the year with as many walks as strikeouts (eight).
Latest On Buster Posey
- It isn’t yet known if Buster Posey will require an injured list placement, as Giants manager Gabe Kapler said the catcher will be re-evaluated on Monday. Speaking to reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly) before and after today’s game with the Marlins, Kapler said pre-game that there was some swelling in Posey’s left elbow, but during the post-game noted that the swelling had lessened. Posey left Saturday’s game in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch, and x-rays were negative on the catcher’s elbow.
Giants Place Logan Webb, Jake McGee On COVID List
- The Giants placed pitchers Logan Webb and Jake McGee on the COVID-19 injured list, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to relay. The duo had some adverse effects after receiving their second doses of a vaccine but are not expected to be out for extended periods of time.
Buster Posey Hit By Pitch, X-Rays Negative On Left Elbow
- X-rays were negative on Buster Posey’s left elbow after the Giants catcher was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of tonight’s game with the Marlins. Posey remains on the basepaths after being hit, but was replaced by Curt Casali at catcher in the bottom half of the inning. Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including NBC Sports Bay Area’s Marcus White) that Posey suffered an elbow contusion. Casali was already likely to start tomorrow’s game, though if Posey needs a bit of recovery time short of an proper IL stint, the Giants might have to call up Chadwick Tromp or Joey Bart so they aren’t shorthanded behind the plate.
Giants Place Johnny Cueto On 10-Day IL
APRIL 16: The Giants expect Cueto to miss two starts, according to manager Gabe Kapler (via Slusser).
APRIL 15: The Giants will place right-hander Johnny Cueto on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 lat strain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report. They’ll make a corresponding move when it becomes official on Friday.
This will temporarily disrupt what has been an impressive rebound effort from Cueto, a former ace who didn’t pitch well in either of the previous two seasons. The 35-year-old has turned back the clock in the early going, though, having recorded a 1.80 ERA with a roughly average strikeout percentage (24.3) and a terrific walk rate (5.4 percent) through 20 innings. Cueto has also allowed just 13 hits – including three during a scoreless, 5 2/3-frame outing against his former team, the Reds, on Wednesday. He had to leave that start after only 68 pitches because of his injury.
The Giants do have a ready-made replacement for Cueto in free-agent pickup Alex Wood. The left-hander is scheduled to make his debut Sunday after missing the first couple weeks of 2021 while recovering from back surgery. Wood was supposed to bump Logan Webb to the bullpen, but both now figure to take spots alongside Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and Aaron Sanchez in the Giants’ rotation.
Latest On Giants’ Rotation
Alex Wood will be activated from the injured list to make his Giants’ debut, starting Sunday’s game against the Marlins, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Wood’s contract has a unique incentive structure that will pay out an additional $150K after 12 games of recording 10 or more outs. He receives more bonus cash after 14, 16, 18, 22, and 24 such games. Starting games certainly gives Wood the best chance to hit those markers, though health will be the biggest factor for the veteran southpaw.
Because of injures, Wood hasn’t been a regular rotation arm since back-to-back 150-inning seasons with the Dodgers in 2017 and 2018. Per Spotrac, Wood has seven career trips to the injured list, twice spending more than 100 days on the shelf. Arthroscopic debridement surgery on his left elbow limited him to 60 1/3 innings during the 2016 season. A back injury tanked his lone season with the Reds. He made just 7 starts covering 35 2/3 innings that year. Wood’s back has again given him problems this season.
With Wood joining the rotation, Logan Webb will head to the bullpen. Webb earned his rotation spot with a strong spring, but he’s off to a rough start. The 24-year-old has allowed 15 hits and five walks in just 10 1/3 innings in his two starts. While the move certainly may seem like a demotion, Pavlovic points out that Webb will be just the third right-hander in the Giants’ bullpen.
Of course, given today’s apparent injury to Johnny Cueto, the Giants may need to keep Webb in the rotation after all. Cueto left today’s game with a tight lat, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). Cueto has been excellent on this young season, tossing 8 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his season debut against the Rockies. He got his second win on the season today against the Reds. The veteran logged 5 2/3 scoreless innings before being removed because of the injury.
Giants Place Reyes Moronta On 10-Day Injured List
- Before today’s game against the Rockies, the Giants placed reliever Reyes Moronta on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group was among those to note. While that sounds ominous, especially since Moronta missed the entire 2020 season recovering from shoulder surgery, manager Gabe Kapler said it’s a minor strain (via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). To replace the right-hander on the active roster, the Giants recalled LaMonte Wade Jr. Acquired from the Twins over the offseason, Wade went 2-4 with a walk in his Giants’ debut this afternoon.
Giants Acquire Thairo Estrada
The Giants have acquired infielder Thairo Estrada in a trade with the Yankees in exchange for cash considerations, the two teams announced. Estrada will head to the Giants’ alternate training site and be added to the 40-man roster. Outfielder Jaylin Davis (left knee tendinitis) was placed on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move to open up a 40-man roster space.
New York designated Estrada for assignment earlier this week to free up roster space for the newly-acquired Rougned Odor. Estrada has spent his entire professional career in the Yankees organization, hitting .280/.337/.389 with 26 home runs over 1949 minor league plate appearances from 2013-19 and .214/.267/.348 over 121 PA at the Major League level in 2019-20. Rather than his bat, Estrada’s value came from his defensive versatility, as he logged a lot of playing time at shortstop, second base, and third base in the minors, and also made a few appearances as a corner outfielder in 2019.
Estrada may have a tough time breaking into a Giants depth chart that is already full of multi-positional infielders, but he might be a better depth option behind Brandon Crawford at shortstop than Donovan Solano or Mauricio Dubon, particularly since Dubon has been increasingly deployed as an outfielder.
Davis was already expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks due to his knee issue, so the 60-day placement will allow Davis some time to fully ramp up in the minors before the Giants consider finding a spot for him on the active roster. The 26-year-old has seen action with San Francisco in each of the last two seasons, appearing in 21 total games with a .515 OPS over 59 PA.
