Giants Outright Trenton Brooks, Raymond Burgos
The Giants passed first baseman Trenton Brooks and lefty Raymond Burgos through waivers unclaimed, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Both were designated for assignment over the weekend, and both have now been assigned outright to Triple-A Sacramento.
Brooks, acquired last August in the trade sending Sean Newcomb across the bay to Oakland, made his MLB debut as a 28-year-old rookie this season. He went 3-for-25 (all singles), punched out six times and drew four walks.
That debut hardly turned many heads, but Brooks has clobbered Triple-A pitching this season and walked more often than he’s struck out in the process. Through 177 plate appearances, he’s hitting .308/.426/.462 with a 17.5% walk rate against a 15.3% strikeout rate. He’s homered four times and swiped six bases. This is Brooks’ fourth season of action at the Triple-A level, and he’s a career .277/.377/.471 hitter in 1365 trips to the plate there. That solid track record wasn’t enough to convince another club to claim him, so he’ll remain with the River Cats and give the Giants a depth option in the event that they need a left-handed bat or some help at first base and/or in the outfield corners.
Burgos, 25, also made his big league debut with the Giants recently. It lasted just one inning, and Burgos yielded a run on three hits and a walk with one punchout in that brief debut showing. The former Cleveland farmhand signed a minor league deal with San Francisco two offseasons ago and did so again earlier this year after very briefly pitching in Mexico. While he had lackluster results in Triple-A last year, Burgos has been excellent in Sacramento this time around. In 22 innings, Burgos boasts a 1.64 earned run average with a 27.4% strikeout rate against a comically low 2.4% walk rate.
As with Brooks, Burgos will remain in the organization as a depth option in Sacramento. Taylor Rogers and Erik Miller are the only healthy left-handers on the Giants’ 40-man roster at the moment, so Burgos could quickly find himself back in the mix for a big league role if anything happens to either southpaw.
Giants Designate Spencer Howard For Assignment
The Giants announced that right-hander Spencer Howard has been designated for assignment. Fellow righty Landen Roupp was called up from Triple-A Sacramento in the corresponding move.
Howard signed a minor league deal with San Francisco last September, and he made it to the big league roster a month ago when his contract was selected to the Show. Working as a starter, reliever, opener, and bulk pitcher behind an opener, Howard was holding his own until a rocky outing against the Dodgers yesterday, when he was tagged for six earned runs over 2 2/3 innings.
The tough night boosted Howard’s ERA to 5.63 over 24 innings, and prompted the Giants to remove Howard from the roster in order to bring a fresher arm in Roupp back to the majors. Howard is out of minor league options, so the Giants had to designate him in order to attempt to send Howard down to Triple-A.
The DFA is the latest twist in the career of the former top-100 prospect, who was a second-round pick for the Phillies in the 2017 draft. Howard was once seen as a future star during his time in Philadelphia’s farm system, but the Phils sent him to the Rangers as part of a six-player trade at the 2021 deadline, and the righty has yet to find any form against Major League batters.
Howard has a 6.93 ERA over 139 career innings with the Phillies, Rangers, and Giants, and the transition to relief pitching from starting work hasn’t seen much of an improvement in his results. Given his past prospect pedigree, another team might put in a waiver claim to see for themselves if any late bloomer potential is there for Howard as he approaches his 28th birthday.
Giants Chairman Discusses Deadline, Signings, “Inconsistent” First Half
With a 40-44 record, the Giants sit in fourth place in the NL West but also still within striking distance of the playoffs, as San Francisco is 3.5 games out of the last National League wild card slot. Several other teams within the congested NL are in this same half-in, half-out status of semi-contention, though expectations were certainly higher in the Bay Area after the Giants spent over $324MM on free agents this past offseason.
Team chairman Greg Johnson is still optimistic that the best is yet to come for the Giants, though he admitted in an interview this week with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser that the club’s play has been “very inconsistent.”
“I think we have to be a little patient through this period where you get frustrated when you watch every day,” Johnson said. “We also have to take into account that we’ve been hit with injuries in very key places, and when you try to muddle through with a two-man rotation, it’s pretty difficult….We’ve had slow starts in games. We can’t seem to get on starting pitching, we always seem to be trying to play catch-up. But on the positive side, the clubhouse vibe seems to be good despite the injuries, and I think if we can stay relevant the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be in great shape in the second half.”
Thirteen players are currently on the Giants’ injured list, ranging from season-ending issues like Jung Hoo Lee‘s shoulder surgery to a couple of injuries (to Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores) that have arose even in the few days since Slusser’s interview with Johnson was published. As Johnson simply put it, “it’s tough when you watch the team take the field — that’s not the team we thought would be out there.”
The sheer volume of personnel on the IL does hint at further upside for the roster, since Johnson says “we probably have the biggest lift (with returning injured players) of any team out there.” This in itself could provide more of a natural roster reinforcement than anything San Francisco could add at the trade deadline, though whether or not enough players will be back by July 30 adds another wrinkle to the club’s future plans.
Johnson demurred most talk about the deadline, saying that was the purview of president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. However, the chairman downplayed the idea of a splashy midseason trade, saying “we’re going to look and see what’s available, but we’re not that optimistic that the market will bear much fruit with so many teams in contention right now, and the cost of getting players and giving up a lot of young talent.” Should a situation emerge where the Giants could add a player by boosting their approximately $254MM, Johnson said “I think we do” have that type of financial flexibility.
It has been no secret that the Giants were trying to add superstars (and thus a larger payroll) to their roster for the last several years, as per their pursuits of Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, and other big-ticket stars in free agency. Last winter’s spending spree was headlined by Lee’s six-year, $113MM deal, though the Giants were able to score a pair of notable less-pricey deals late in the offseason with a pair of shorter-term, opt-out heavy deals with Blake Snell and Matt Chapman. As a result, San Francisco is now over the luxury tax threshold for the first time since 2017, though their estimated $254MM figure puts them under the secondary tax tier of $257MM.
In regards to the Giants’ spending capacity in general, Johnson said “We don’t go in with any set number — here’s the cap, here’s the target. Things change, and being able to get someone of Blake Snell’s caliber and you look at your areas of vulnerability and with a lot of untested pitchers, that was a reason to go out and spend beyond the luxury tax. You want to be nimble and opportunistic and having Blake still available kind of pushed us over that [luxury tax] range.”
Seen as relative bargains at the time, the signings of Chapman (three years, $54MM with two opt-outs) and Snell (two years, $62MM with an opt-out after the season) haven’t gone to plan. Chapman is at least on the field and providing his customary excellent third base defense, even if his hitting has been only decent. Snell, on the other hand, has battled through a nightmare of a season that has included two IL stints and a 9.51 ERA over 23 2/3 innings pitched.
Because Snell didn’t sign until March 19, he didn’t have the benefit of any kind of normal Spring Training routine, as the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner’s preseason work was limited to his own personal training regiment and some sim games after he officially joined the Giants. Snell’s struggles have been so overwhelming that it seems to have led to a policy change within the team, as “signing someone late isn’t something we’d do again, especially with a pitcher,” Johnson said.
“I think that shows you how important Spring Training is, especially for pitchers….We felt a veteran like him could be ready pretty quickly. I’m sure he’s pretty frustrated as well. You want him to feel like he’s 100 percent when he’s out there, and he wants to feel like he’s 100 percent.”
While it is a little surprising to hear a team executive make such a firm declaration, it isn’t all that controversial given that Snell himself has gone on record with his regrets over his lack of a normal offseason ramp-up. It should be noted that Johnson didn’t regard Snell’s signing as a mistake, since there is still time this season for Snell to return and contribute, not to mention in the second year of his deal in 2025 (since an opt-out is looking increasingly unlikely).
All in all, Johnson’s statements don’t much differ from the comments of other front office officials or executives in recent weeks, as so much of the league is still in wait-and-see mode with a month to go before the deadline. It is certainly possible the Giants could be more aggressive in adding talent if they go on a hot streak in July, though remaining under .500 (and falling more definitively out of a playoff race) could motivate Zaidi to reload for 2025 and move some veteran players at the deadline. Or, given how San Francisco surely plans to contend next year, the Giants could pursue a combination of both buying and selling at the deadline, rather than one specific path.
Giants Notes: Snell, Harrison, Cobb
The Giants have suffered a tough run of injuries to their starting rotation of late, and with six starters on the injured list only Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks are currently in the San Francisco rotation as true full-time starters, although Spencer Howard and Hayden Birdsong have filled in to allow the Giants to cobble together a four-man rotation. Fortunately, it appears that could be changing in the near future as Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier today that southpaws Blake Snell and Kyle Harrison are both making progress towards returns from injuries.
Of the pair, Harrison appears to be closer to a return. The southpaw found himself shelved a little less than two weeks ago due to a right ankle sprain, although the issue proved minor enough that it appears he’ll be ready to return after something close to a minimum stay on the shelf. Per Rubin, the club’s current plan is for Harrison to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday before eyeing a start sometime during the club’s road trip against the Braves and Guardians that wraps up on July 8. That should leave the Giants to turn over the rotation just once more before Harrison rejoins the group.
After making seven starts with the club down the stretch last year, Harrison stepped into the club’s rotation on Opening Day this year alongside Webb, Hicks, Snell, and Keaton Winn. The 22-year-old has generally performed decently in what will be his first full big league season with a roughly league average 3.96 ERA and matching 3.95 FIP through 77 1/3 inning of work spread across 14 starts. While the lefty has only struck out 20.6% of batters faced this year, he’s limited walks to a strong 6.7% clip while generating grounders at a decent 42.1% rate. While the lefty’s pedigree certainly suggests that he could take a step forward at some point, even that stable back-end production would be a huge boost to a San Francisco rotation that has gotten the second-fewest innings out of its starting rotation in the majors this year.
Snell, meanwhile, appears likely to rejoin the Giants after Harrison but has a more concrete plan for his return in place. Per Rubin, the reigning NL Cy Young award winner is scheduled to make a final rehab start on Wednesday before rejoining the rotation on July 10 against the Blue Jays. After being limited to just six starts in the first half by multiple groin injuries while struggling to a 9.51 ERA and 4.63 FIP across those 23 2/3 innings of work where he was healthy enough to take the mound, both Snell and the Giants are surely hoping that the lefty can turn his season around when he returns to action.
While San Francisco was surely hoping for more when they inked Snell to a two-year, $62MM contract back in March, it’s not at all difficult to imagine the southpaw, who boasts a 2.72 ERA and 3.17 FIP with a 31.7% strikeout rate in 56 starts from 2022-23, turning things around in the second half and helping to anchor the top of the Giants rotation alongside Webb. Given his tough start to the season, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Snell opting out of the second year of his deal at this point barring a sensational second half on the level of the one he enjoyed last year, when he posted a 1.43 ERA and 3.12 FIP in his final 15 starts of the season.
Meanwhile, veteran right-hander Alex Cobb is also working his way back from injury after undergoing hip surgery last offseason that delayed his start to the 2024 campaign. He was expected to rejoin the Giants at some point in May, but ended up halting his throwing program due to discomfort in his shoulder in the middle of last month. The righty finally appears poised to get into game action, however, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted this afternoon that Cobb is set to make a rehab start with Single-A San Jose tomorrow.
That’s a key step for the 36-year-old as he looks to return to action for the Giants. The veteran righty has been a very valuable asset for the club in recent years when healthy enough to take the mound, pitching to a 3.80 ERA and a 3.41 FIP in 301 innings of work since the start of his Giants tenure back in 2022. He and veteran lefty Robbie Ray could both impact the club’s rotation at some point later this season, offering internal rotation depth as the season wears on and they get closer to returns from their respective injuries.
Orlando Cepeda Passes Away
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has passed away at age 86, the Giants announced. Cepeda played nine of his 17 MLB campaigns in San Francisco and won the 1967 National League MVP award as a member of the Cardinals.
A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Cepeda secured a minor league contract with the Giants in 1955. He hit 22 home runs as a 17-year-old in his first minor league season, hinting at the power he’d eventually show in the big leagues. Cepeda quickly hit his way up the ladder, reaching the majors midway through April in 1958. His arrival coincided with the franchise’s move to San Francisco.
The first baseman wasted no time in cementing himself as one of the faces of the organization. He raked at a .312/.342/.512 clip with 25 homers and a National League-high 38 doubles at age 20. Cepeda was a unanimous choice as the Senior Circuit’s Rookie of the Year and finished ninth in MVP balloting. While he didn’t earn an All-Star selection in his first season, Cepeda would earn trips to the Midsummer Classic in the six seasons thereafter.
The 6’2″ slugger reached 35 doubles and topped 20 homers in his second and third years. He took his already excellent form to another level in his fourth season. Cepeda blasted a career-high 46 longballs to top the National League. He drove in a staggering 142 runs while hitting .311/.362/.609 over 152 contests. Cepeda led the majors in RBI and finished runner-up to Frank Robinson in MVP balloting.
While he didn’t quite match those numbers in 1962, Cepeda popped another 35 homers and drove in 114 runs. He finished 15th in MVP voting and helped the Giants capture the pennant. He didn’t have a great World Series as the Yankees dropped the Giants in a seven-game set, but he’d get another couple cracks at the Fall Classic later in the decade.
Those didn’t come in San Francisco. Cepeda remained a productive hitter for the next couple seasons, topping 30 homers while hitting over .300 in each of the next two years. He lost most of the ’65 campaign to injury, though, putting something of a sour end on an illustrious run with the organization. The Giants traded Cepeda to the Cardinals for left-hander Ray Sadecki in May 1966. While Sadecki was a solid starting pitcher for the next couple seasons, that blockbuster turned out squarely in the Cards’ favor.
Cepeda hit .303/.362/.469 in his first year with the Cardinals. He paced the NL with 111 RBI the following season, running a .325/.399/.524 line over 644 plate appearances. Cepeda helped the Cardinals to 101 wins and a trip to the World Series. He topped teammate Tim McCarver to win the MVP. While Cepeda only had three hits in the Series, the Cards triumphed over the Red Sox in seven games to claim the eighth title in franchise history.
The Cardinals won a second straight pennant the following season, though they fell to the Tigers in the ’68 World Series. St. Louis traded Cepeda to the Braves the following Spring Training in a one-for-one swap for Joe Torre. The star catcher and future Hall of Fame manager would win the ’71 MVP in St. Louis, so the Cardinals netted a future MVP on both ends of their respective Cepeda trades.
Cepeda was a key contributor for Atlanta over three and a half seasons in his own right. He remained a well above-average hitter, running a .281/.343/.486 line in 401 games as a Brave. Atlanta traded him to the A’s in 1972 for Denny McLain, a deal that didn’t work out for either team. Cepeda signed with the Red Sox as a full-time designated hitter in 1973 and hit .289/.350/.444 to earn a few more down-ballot MVP votes. He retired after a brief stint with the Royals the year after.
Over a career that spanned parts of 17 seasons, Cepeda hit .297/.350/.499 in more than 2100 games. He finished his playing days with 379 home runs, 2351 hits and 1365 runs batted in. He’s 74th on the all-time leaderboard in homers and tied with Garret Anderson for 87th in RBI. Cepeda spent 15 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, falling just shy of induction with 73.5% of the vote share in his final year (1994). Five years later, he was enshrined by the Veterans Committee.
While Cepeda had an accomplished run for three franchises, he’ll always be best remembered for his time with the Giants. He hit .308/.352/.535 in more than 4500 plate appearances in a San Francisco uniform. The franchise retired his #30 and unveiled a statue in his honor outside of Oracle Park back in 2008. His passing unfortunately comes only 10 days after the death of his longtime teammate and fellow Giants/MLB icon Willie Mays. MLBTR joins others throughout the sport in sending condolences to Cepeda’s family, loved ones, former teammates and the countless fans whose lives he touched over his excellent career.
Giants Place Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores On Injured List
The Giants announced this evening that they’ve placed infielders Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores on the 10-day injured list. Estrada was sent to the shelf with a left wrist sprain and the latter was shelved with knee tendonitis. In corresponding moves, the club has called up infielder Tyler Fitzgerald and activated first baseman Lamonte Wade Jr. from the 10-day injured list.
It’s been a difficult year at the plate for both Estrada and Flores, both of whom have posted below-average offensive numbers after being among the club’s most productive players last year. On the heels of a 3.6 fWAR season where he posted fantastic defensive metrics and a 101 wRC+, Estrada has hit just .231/.264/.376 in 311 trips to the plate this year despite nearly identical peripheral numbers to his 2023 campaign. While his .259 batting average on balls in play may initially appear to be a clear indication that positive regression could be on the way for the 28-year-old, it’s worth noting that the infielder’s .279 wOBA actually outpaces his expected figure of .270.
As for Flores, the 32-year-old was coming off a fantastic 2023 campaign in a semi-regular role with the club last year where he slashed .284/.355/.509 (136 wRC+) in 454 trips to the plate while splitting time between first, second, and third base as well as the DH slot. Flores has found himself in a similar role to this point in the Giants’ season, albeit one that has seen him play first base almost exclusively while Wade was on the shelf. Flores’s plate discipline numbers are still excellent, as he’s walked at an 8.8% clip while striking out just 13.2% of the time, but he’s seemingly completely lost his power stroke. After crushing 23 home runs last year, he’s hit just four in 227 trips to the plate this season as his barrel rate has dipped from 7.8% to just 5.7% this year.
It’s not currently clear how long either player figures to be out of action, but the stays on the shelf should offer both veterans the opportunity to reset ahead of the second half, where both they and the Giants will surely be hoping for better results. Wade’s activation from the IL makes him a fairly clean replacement for Flores at first base, although it’s somewhat trickier for the club to replace Estrada.
Brett Wisely and Nick Ahmed had been acting as a platoon tandem at shortstop while Estrada manned the keystone on a daily basis, but with Fitzgerald entering the mix it’s less clear how that playing time will shake out. The 26-year-old has hit a respectable .273/.333/.409 in 28 games with the Giants to this point in the year, but he has just 106 total plate appearances under his belt since making his big league debut last season. It appears likely that Ahmed could see an uptick in playing time at shortstop as Wisely takes some starts at second base, while Fitzgerald could mix in at both positions in addition to the outfield and first base in a utility role.
Tonight’s news isn’t entirely bleak for the Giants, as they’ll surely be excited to return Wade to the starting lineup. The 30-year-old has been on the shelf since late May due to a hamstring strain but was among the very best hitters in all of baseball this year at the time of his injury. He’ll return to the starting lineup with a fantastic .333/.470/.426 slash line (166 wRC+) that makes up for the relative lack of power with an eye-popping 19.9% walk rate. If Wade manages to play at anything close to that level going forward this season, he’ll surely provide a major shot in the arm for a Giants offense that has ranked just 20th in the majors with a 97 wRC+ since Wade was placed on the shelf.
Giants Designate Raymond Burgos For Assignment
The Giants announced they’ve designated left-hander Raymond Burgos for assignment (X link via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). The move opens the necessary 40-man spot for Hayden Birdsong, who has officially been selected onto the big league roster. San Francisco optioned Mason Black to Triple-A Sacramento to clear an active roster spot for Birdsong.
Burgos only occupied a spot on the 40-man roster for two days. San Francisco selected his contract on Monday. He pitched one inning during his MLB debut, allowing a run on three hits while fanning Tomás Nido for his first strikeout. San Francisco optioned him yesterday and will take him off the roster altogether now that Birdsong is up to start tonight.
A 25-year-old southpaw, Burgos has signed minor league deals with the Giants in each of the last two seasons. He has worked in long relief for Sacramento this year. Burgos has turned in a 1.64 ERA over 22 innings across nine appearances. He has fanned 27.4% of batters faced against a tidy 2.4% walk rate while inducing ground-balls at a lofty 53.6% clip.
Burgos isn’t a hard thrower, averaging 91.2 MPH on his sinker during his big league debut. His Triple-A numbers have been strong enough that another team could give him a look on a waiver claim, though. San Francisco has five days to trade him or try to run him through waivers.
Giants To Promote Hayden Birdsong
The Giants will call up pitching prospect Hayden Birdsong to start tomorrow against the Cubs. Manager Bob Melvin announced the news this evening (X link via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle).
It’s the first major league call for the 6’4″ right-hander. Birdsong was a sixth-round pick out of Eastern Illinois in 2022. He has quickly outperformed that modest draft stock. Birdsong pitched quite well in the low minors during his first full professional season. While he ran into a bit of trouble during his first crack at Double-A, he established himself as one of the more intriguing arms in the organization.
Baseball America ranked Birdsong the #5 prospect in the San Francisco system entering the season. The Athletic’s Keith Law slotted him 10th in February, while Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs ranked him 17th on their organizational write-up in April. All three outlets credit him with a velocity jump into the mid-90s during his first season in pro ball. Evaluators praise Birdsong’s 12-6 curveball and slider as well, though scouting reports haven’t been especially keen on his changeup.
FanGraphs writes that Birdsong is likely to end up in relief because of subpar command. The reports at BA and The Athletic were more optimistic on his chances of sticking in the rotation, though both outlets noted that he’ll need to continue improving to profile as a starter. Baseball America writes that the development of Birdsong’s command could be the x-factor, while Law suggests the biggest question is whether he’ll find a pitch with enough lateral movement to complement his north-south breaking stuff.
Even if Birdsong does wind up as a bullpen piece, that’d be a very good outcome for a sixth-round draftee who signed for less than $200K. The Giants will give him an opportunity to stick as a starter before considering that possibility. Birdsong has turned in excellent numbers for Double-A Richmond this year. In 11 starts, he worked to a 2.05 earned run average while punching out 30.7% of opposing hitters. While he issued walks at a lofty 10.1% clip, his stuff was clearly too advanced for Double-A.
The Giants bumped the 22-year-old to Triple-A Sacramento 10 days ago. Birdsong allowed five runs on eight hits and six walks over his first nine innings in the Pacific Coast League. Despite his limited experience at the top minor league level, he’ll get a look against MLB hitters. The Giants lost Keaton Winn to the injured list over the weekend, necessitating a fifth starter if they weren’t going to use a bullpen game.
Birdsong is not on the 40-man roster. The Giants will select his contract tomorrow and will need to make corresponding active and 40-man roster transactions. They don’t have any obvious candidates for a move to the 60-day injured list, so they’ll likely designate someone for assignment.
Giants Designate Trenton Brooks For Assignment, Select Raymond Burgos
The Giants announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Raymond Burgos. To open spots on both the active and 40-man rosters, first baseman Trenton Brooks has been designated for assignment.
Brooks, 28, was selected to the roster just under a month ago. He had spent close to a decade in the minors and had generally hit well over the years, including producing a .308/.426/.462 line in Triple-A prior to his call-up this year.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to bring any of that production up to the majors with him. He has only received 29 plate appearances since getting added to the roster May 28, hitting .120/.241/.120 in that time. His 13.8% walk rate and 20.7% strikeout rate are both solid but he didn’t hit the ball with much authority, leading to a .158 batting average on balls in play and no extra base hits. That performance got him bumped off the roster and the Giants will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers.
Taking his roster spot is Burgos, a 25-year-old left-hander. Originally drafted by Cleveland, he never cracked the big leagues with that team and hit free agency after 2022, which led to minor league deals with the Giants in each of the past two offseasons.
He has thrown 22 Triple-A innings over nine appearances this year, only allowing 1.64 earned runs per nine frames. He won’t be able to sustain a 100% strand rate nor a .245 BABIP, but his 27.4% strikeout rate, 2.4% walk rate and 53.6% ground ball rate are all strong. He’ll give the Giants a multi-inning option out of the bullpen as they try to cobble a pitching staff together. With each of Blake Snell, Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn, Robbie Ray, Alex Cobb and Tristan Beck on the injured list, the rotation is down to Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks at the moment.
Giants Place Keaton Winn, Mike Yastrzemski On Injured List
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.