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Giants’ Latest Roster Moves

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The Giants made a number of roster moves on Tuesday, provided here by Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). On the pitching front, San Francisco purchased Dominic Leone’s contract from Triple-A and optioned righty Nick Tropeano. The recently-acquired Sam Delaplane was also moved to the 60-day injured list.

The well-traveled Leone has a 4.09 career ERA over 253 career innings for the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Indians, for whom he pitched in 2020. Tropeano, 30, pitched well in four appearances, giving up just one earned run in six innings. He threw two scoreless against the Angels on Monday, so his demotion could simply be about getting a fresh arm in the bullpen.

The Giants also made a change behind the plate, placing Curt Casali on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain. He’s not expected to be out for more than the 10-game minimum, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Those hoping to see top prospect Joey Bart will be disappointed, however. It’s reasonable to assume that the short-term nature of the injury does not warrant disrupting Bart’s development.

Instead, Chadwick Tromp has been recalled to serve as Buster Posey’s backup behind the plate for the next 10 days. The 26-year-old backstop debuted last season, posting a 65 wRC+ in 64 plate appearances.

Lastly, Crowley adds that Evan Longoria’s injury appears to be a mild intercostal strain, and he’ll avoid a stint on the injured list. Longoria is enjoying a resurgent season at the plate this year with a 139 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR through 178 plate appearances.

Yankees Acquire Connor Cannon To Complete Mike Tauchman Trade

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The Yankees have acquired infielder Connor Cannon from the Giants to complete the April 27th trade that sent Mike Tauchman to San Francisco for Wandy Peralta and a Player To Be Named Later. The Yankees announced the completion of the deal.

Cannon was drafted in the 17th round of the 2019 draft out of UC Riverside. The 23-year-old hit .326/.399/.689 in rookie ball during his first taste of pro action after being drafted, but he has yet to appear this season. Probably a first baseman, Cannon pitched some at college, but his power at the plate is by far the greater talent.

The 6’5″, 240 pounder will be on the older side for a prospect wherever he ultimately reports this season, but he does have some promise at the plate, particularly for an American League club that might envision him as a designated hitter. FanGraphs named his as the Giants’ 40th-ranked prospect, crediting him with top-of-the-scale, 80-grade raw power but bottom-of-the-scale, 20-grade speed.

Evan Longoria To Undergo MRI

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Giants third baseman Evan Longoria exited their win over the Angels on Monday with soreness in his right side. Longoria will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, though he’s hopeful that he isn’t dealing with a serious injury, Maria Guardado of MLB.com tweets.

The Giants entered 2021 mired in a four-year playoff drought, while Longoria has struggled of late in his own right, but the two have come alive again. San Francisco is 34-20, a half-game up in the National League West race, and Longoria has been one of its top contributors. The 35-year-old, formerly a standout with Tampa Bay, saw his numbers drop precipitously over the past few seasons, but the three-time All-Star has looked more like his younger self in 2021. He went 2-for-2 with a home run on Monday, raising his line to an outstanding .274/.360/.510 (140 wRC+) with nine homers in 178 plate appearances this season. Longoria’s success doesn’t seem to be a fluke, either, as he ranks near the top of the majors in most relevant Statcast categories.

San Francisco, which replaced Longoria with Mauricio Dubon on Monday, can only hope he will avoid a stint on the injured list. The Giants already have a few infielders on the IL in first basemen Brandon Belt and Darin Ruf and second baseman Tommy La Stella, the latter of whom won’t return until at least July.

Latest On Kevin Gausman

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MAY 31: Gausman’s MRI came back clean, and he’s optimistic he’ll make his next start, Kapler said (Twitter link via Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group).

MAY 30, 6:35PM: The hip problem has been bothering Gausman for weeks, manager Gabe Kapler told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) and other reporters after the game.  The feeling is that Gausman should be able to keep pitching through the issue, though Gausman will get an MRI “for some peace of mind.”

6:16PM: Giants right-hander Kevin Gausman left today’s start after six innings due to tightness in his left hip, the team announced.  The removal was specified as being precautionary in nature, so it remains to be seen whether or not Gausman’s issue is anything serious or if the Giants were just taking it easy with their ace.

San Francisco already held a 5-0 lead over the Dodgers at the time of Gausman’s removal and he had thrown six innings, though the righty wasn’t showing any signs of fatigue.  Gausman had tossed only 72 pitches while allowing two hits over six scoreless frames of work.  In his final out of the sixth, however, Gausman did have to make a stretch to field a Matt Beaty grounder, which may have led to the hip problem.

Counting his quality start today, Gausman now has a tiny 1.40 ERA over 70 2/3 innings in 2021.  With a 30.86% strikeout rate, 5.95% walk rate, and a host of impressive Statcast numbers, Gausman has put himself in the early running for Cy Young Award consideration.  In addition to helping the Giants contend for a playoff spot, Gausman is also positioning himself as one of the top arms available in next winter’s free agent market.

Giants Acquire Sam Delaplane

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The Giants have acquired right-hander Sam Delaplane from the Mariners in exchange for cash considerations.  Delaplane has been optioned to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.

Delaplane was designated for assignment earlier this week, and will be out of action for likely the first half of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April.  However, the Giants took the opportunity to trade for a local product (Delaplane is from San Jose) who has a rather eye-opening minor league track record.

A 23-round pick for the Mariners in the 2017 draft, Delaplane has a 2.29 ERA over 161 1/3 relief innings in Seattle’s farm system.  He also has an overwhelming 40.91% strikeout rate, whiffing 270 of 660 batters faced over his career.  Between all those missed bats and some solid control (8.2% walk rate), it’s easy to see why San Francisco took a long-term flier on Delaplane to see if he can continue anything close to this form at the MLB level when healthy.

Giants Activate Wilmer Flores, Logan Webb From 10-Day IL

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The Giants activated infielder Wilmer Flores and right-hander Logan Webb from the 10-day injured list.  Both players are slated to return to action tonight, as Webb is scheduled to start tonight’s game with the Dodgers and Flores is in the lineup as the starting first baseman.  Righty Nick Tropeano and infielder Jason Vosler were optioned to Triple-A to create roster space.

Both Flores and Webb will end up missing the minimum 10 days due to what (thankfully) appears to have been minor injuries.  Flores hit the IL due to a right hamstring strain, while Webb was sidelined with a right shoulder strain.

Flores’ return comes at a particularly opportune time for the Giants, as first basemen Brandon Belt and Darin Ruf are both on the 10-day IL themselves.  The club can now at least tread water at the position with an experienced first baseman like Flores, plus Austin Slater and LaMonte Wade Jr. can also fill in at first base in a pinch.  Flores is off to something of a slow start this year, with a .219/.308/.343 slash line over 120 plate appearances that is well off his .277/.323/.469 mark from 2016-20.

San Francisco has gotten strong results from its starting pitchers this year, Webb included.  The right-hander has a 4.09 ERA/3.50 SIERA over 44 innings, with a strong 58.7% grounder rate and a strikeout rate (25%) that is slightly above the league average.

Injury Notes: J. Iglesias, J. Castro, Luplow, Ruf

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The latest injury notes from around baseball…

  • The Angels have placed shortstop Jose Iglesias on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, the team announced. Iglesias, whom the Angels acquired from the Orioles in the offseason, has batted .283/.317/.396 with four home runs and two stolen bases over 167 plate appearances. He hasn’t started since May 25, leaving shortstop to David Fletcher.
  • The Astros have put catcher Jason Castro on the 10-day IL (retroactive to May 25) with left Achilles soreness and recalled backstop Garrett Stubbs, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets. Castro, who opened his career with the Astros from 2010-16, rejoined the team on a two-year, $7MM guarantee during the offseason. The deal looked good for the Astros before Castro’s IL placement, considering he has hit .271/.397/.479, though he has only taken 59 plate appearances while playing second fiddle to Martin Maldonado.
  • The Indians sent outfielder Jordan Luplow to the IL on Friday with an ankle issue, according to the team. It’s a problem Luplow has been dealing with since spring training, and manager Terry Francona said the club is “trying to figure it out” (via the Associated Press).  The 27-year-old Luplow is off to a .165/.325/.433 start with seven home runs in 121 plate appearances. Despite the low BA, Luplow’s production has been 13 percent better than average, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric.
  • The Giants will go three to four weeks without first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf, Kerry Crowley of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Ruf went on the 10-day IL list on Thursday with a strained right hamstring, joining fellow first baseman Brandon Belt on the shelf. Both players have recorded well-above-average production this season, but the Giants will have to go without the pair for at least a couple weeks. They started LaMonte Wade Jr. at first base on Friday.

IL Notes: Rojas, Nola, Ruf, Hoffman

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Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas will go on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated finger, Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports. Rojas appears as if he’ll miss more time than the 10-day minimum, though, as Mish hears the injury is “concerning.” Rojas, who suffered the injury in a loss to the division-rival Phillies on Thursday, has been quietly effective dating back to last season. After notching below-average offensive production from 2014-19, Rojas has batted .287/.369/.461 with seven home runs and nine stolen bases in 331 plate appearances over the past year-plus. The 32-year-old’s 132 wRC+ since the start of 2020 ties him with Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon and San Diego center fielder Trent Grisham.

  • The Padres are placing catcher Austin Nola on the 10-day IL with a knee sprain, but they’re optimistic it isn’t a serious injury, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets. Nola started the season on the IL with a fractured left middle finger and didn’t debut until April 28. Since then, the 31-year-old has batted .217/.373/.326 with one home run in 59 plate appearances, and he has drawn more walks (eight) than strikeouts (three). Victor Caratini will continue to get work at the catcher position while Nola is out, but it’s up in the air otherwise. Luis Campusano is also on their 40-man roster, though the Padres may want him to get more action in the minors, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes.
  • The Giants have placed first baseman Darin Ruf on the IL with a strained right hamstring and recalled outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr., Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report. Ruf was supposed to serve as the Giants’ primary option at first base after they placed starter Brandon Belt on the IL on Wednesday with an oblique strain, so they’re without any kind of everyday solution now. Jason Vosler started there Thursday, but he has a mere 16 major league plate appearances to his name. Wade, who has minimal experience at the spot, as well as Wilmer Flores (soon to return from the IL) could also fill in, Slusser notes.
  • Reds righty Jeff Hoffman went on the IL on Thursday with a shoulder impingement, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Reds are confident Hoffman will avoid surgery, according to Nightengale. Hoffman leads the Reds in starts (11), but with 42 1/3 frames, he has totaled fewer than four per appearance and posted a 4.89 ERA/5.71 SIERA with a 16.1 percent walk rate. The Reds will soon get back Wade Miley back from the injured list, and that will help fill Hoffman’s void. They could also give a multi-start audition to Vladimir Gutierrez until Hoffman’s ready to come back.

Giants Outright Braden Bishop, Trevor Hildenberger

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The Giants have outrighted Braden Bishop and right-handed reliever Trevor Hildenberger to Triple-A Sacramento, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. The team designated the two of them for assignment in recent days.

Bishop is a Bay Area native whose younger brother, Hunter, is in the Giants’ system. The Giants claimed the elder Bishop, 27, via waivers from the Mariners on May 17, though he didn’t get a chance with San Francisco before it designated him. Bishop had brief major league appearances with the M’s from 2019-21 and batted an ugly .133/.188/.156 in that 99-PA span.

The Giants grabbed Hildenberger off waivers from the Mets on May 18, but he also didn’t see any action with the club before it jettisoned him. Between the Mets and Twins, the 30-year-old has pitched to a 5.52 ERA (with a much better 3.60 SIERA) 133 2/3 innings since he debuted in 2017.

West Notes: Belt, Bellinger, Gonzales, Pomeranz, Adell

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The Giants are placing first baseman Brandon Belt on the 10-day injured list with a mild left oblique strain and recalling infielder Jason Vosler, per manager Gabe Kapler (via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Kapler doesn’t expect Belt to miss more than 10 to 14 days, and in the meantime, Darin Ruf will get the lion’s share of playing time at first base. Even a short absence for Belt could be a tough blow for the contending Giants, though, considering he’s off to a .228/.350/.447 start with eight home runs in 137 plate appearances. However, Ruf has also hit well – albeit over a smaller sample of 97 PA – with a .228/.361/.506 line and six long balls.

  • The Dodgers are hopeful that slugger Cody Bellinger will return from the injured list on Saturday, manager Dave Roberts told Juan Toribio of MLB.com and other reporters. Los Angeles has gone nearly the entire season without Bellinger, who suffered a hairline fracture in his left leg and hasn’t played since April 5. Nevertheless, the reigning World Series champions have more than held their own in Bellinger’s absence, having won eight straight to improve to 30-18.
  • Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales, out since April with a forearm strain, is making progress and could come back during the team’s upcoming homestand (May 27-June 2), per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. Gonzales was one of the top starters in the league year, but he’s off to a rough beginning this season between the injury and his performance. Before going on the IL, Gonzales recorded a surprisingly poor 5.40 ERA/4.87 SIERA in 28 1/3 innings, and his walk rate skyrocketed compared to 2020. He issued walks just 2.5 percent of the time then, but he’s up to 9.1 now.
  • Padres reliever Drew Pomeranz has suffered a setback in his recovery from a left shoulder impingement, manager Jayce Tingler announced to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com and other reporters. The Padres will shut Pomeranz down from throwing for about a week and then decide how to proceed. Unfortunately, injuries have been a common problem since Pomeranz’s career began in 2011. When healthy, though, he has been a revelation for the Padres since they inked him to a four-year, $34MM contract before 2020. Dating back to then, the 32-year-old has registered a 1.67 ERA with a highly impressive 38 percent strikeout rate in 32 1/3 innings, including 13 2/3 this season.
  • Despite his encouraging start to the season at the Triple-A level, the Angels have not recalled top outfield prospect Jo Adell. That doesn’t look as if it’s going to change imminently, as general manager Perry Minasian said Tuesday (via Bill Shaikin of the LA Times): “He’s making some strides. He’s not there yet.” While the 22-year-old Adell has hit a power-packed .266/.326/.696 with 10 home runs in 86 plate appearances, he has posted a high strikeout rate of 33.7 percent at the same time. Strikeouts have been an issue over the past few years for Adell, including during his major league debut last season. He fanned in 41.7 percent of his 132 PA then and batted a woeful .161/.212/.266.
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