It hasn't been easy for the San Francisco Giants this year after they massively revamped their roster in the offseason to transform themselves back into a competitive team.

Aside from Jordan Hicks and Matt Chapman, most of the high-profile additions to this team have been flops.

That's largely not the fault of the players, as Jung Hoo Lee suffered a freak shoulder injury that will keep him out for the rest of the year. Blake Snell signed late and hasn't had a proper warm-up period to prepare his body for Major League Baseball.

One thing continues to trouble this team during the summer months: injuries.

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that the Giants have made another roster change after placing star outfielder Mike Yastrzemski on the injured list with an oblique muscle strain. Starting pitcher Keaton Winn is also being placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation.

In corresponding steps, San Francisco calls up the star young talents Luis Matos and David Villar.

Matos will get another chance at the major league level after making his debut in 2023, playing in 73 games with the Giants en route to a .250/.319/.342 batting average with two home runs, 16 extra-base hits and 14 RBI. He saw much less action this year, appearing in just 21 games before being demoted in the midst of his slump.

There were some opinions that if he appeared to have things under control at the plate, he wouldn't be able to stay in the minors for long.

Yastrzemski's injury gives him another chance to show the organization that he has what it takes to become an impact player in the major leagues.

However, how long he will stay on the show is uncertain.

Yastrzemski described his oblique strain as “minor” and is “glad it was caught so early.” He hopes to be back in action in 10 days.

For Winn, this is a disappointing development.

In his second year in the MLB, he looked like he could be a part of that rotation in the future, as he posted a 3.18 ERA in his first six starts this season. He spiraled out of control in May when he was forced out with right forearm discomfort and subsequently placed on the injured list.

This will be Winn's second stay on the injured list, which is never good for a young pitcher.

The post San Francisco Giants Announce Main Roster Modifications as Star Hits Injured Checklist appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants are expected to have one of the National League's best rotations by the end of April, and former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray will join the group in the middle of the summer. But at least in the first week it's a kind of climbing exercise.

Three options remained in Arizona when the Giants returned to the Bay Area this week. Alex Cobb is weeks ahead of schedule in his rehab from hip surgery, but he's not quite ready to return to the big leagues just yet. Keaton Winn will play in a minor league game on Wednesday as he recovers from elbow discomfort at the start of training camp. Blake Snell will pitch this Friday, building on Sunday's three-inning outing, which was his first since signing a two-year deal with the Giants.

Winn could be an option as early as Monday in Los Angeles, which would be the fifth game of the season. In theory, Snell could be added to the roster as early as next Wednesday, although with an off day right after the season-opening road trip, it might make more sense to push him back for the home opener when he feels he's ready. The Giants have been tight-lipped about Cobb's schedule, but he's believed to be close.

The situation could result in the Giants only having three true starting pitchers on Opening Day. Mason Black appeared poised for a rotation spot until the others were ready, but the Giants moved him to minor league camp on Tuesday afternoon. Since Black is not on the 40-man roster, the Giants can bring him back early in the year if necessary.

The Giants also reassigned left-hander Juan Sanchez and outfielder Ismael Munguia. All three had strong starts, with Munguia winning the Barney Nugent Award, given to the player who is most impressive in his first big league camp.

“Both [Black and Sanchez] “Sometimes he threw a good pitch,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “We have a lot of tough decisions to make, but all of these guys also know they're just a phone call away. “Our guys know the 26-man roster means a lot more as the season goes on, so you've got to be ready. It could happen at any time.

The Giants also have plenty of other balls in the air.

Mike Yastrzemski's wife, Paige, is due to give birth to the couple's second child on Friday, and although Yastrzemski plans to play on Thursday, he will likely be on the paternity list for the remainder of the season-opening road series against the San Diego Padres.

Running out of options, Joey Bart met with Melvin after Tuesday's game. It's possible the Giants use him as a third catcher while they consider other roster moves. It would probably be easier to sneak Bart through waivers a few days into the season than in the next day or two when 29 other teams set their own rosters.

The Giants also need multiple 40-man spots. Nick Ahmed appears to be the Opening Day shortstop, and non-roster invitees Daulton Jefferies and Landen Roupp have been fighting for open bullpen spots.

San Francisco was still working on moves late Tuesday night and planned to fly to San Diego on Wednesday. As last year's last-minute addition of Matt Beaty showed, problems often arise until the very last minute.

Super provider

Tyler Fitzgerald took a quick first base lesson with Ron Wotus before the game and then landed at the position for the final three innings on Tuesday night. It's another glove for the young utility man, who now has experience in all four infield spots and can also play center field.

The front office and new coaching staff are excited about Fitzgerald, who showcased his speed-power combination in a cameo late last season. The roster lacks defensive versatility, and Fitzgerald's ability to now fill eight different spots may be why he gets the final backup spot.

Former first-rounder back on track?

Hunter Bishop was brought to San Francisco to join the group of minor league players who rounded out the roster for two exhibition games, although he did not appear in Tuesday's game. Bishop didn't play last season after Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm, but he said he was fully healthy and felt great about how his body and swing felt this spring.

It's been five years since the Giants made Bishop their first first-round pick under Farhan Zaidi and Michael Holmes, and he's had to watch as most of that first-round class has already reached the big leagues. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if Bishop was back on the radar this season. He is one of the organization's best athletes and even after years of battling injuries, he is still only 25 years old.

If Bishop starts in Double-A, he would be part of a very athletic outfield. Speedy centerfielder Grant McCray will begin his season there after hitting 14 home runs and stealing 52 bases in the High-A League last season.

New voices

The announcer for the first game of the year at Oracle Park was Carolyn “CJ” Silas, the longtime PA announcer for Cal Poly Baseball. Silas has more than 30 years of experience behind the microphone, including stints with the Blue Jays' Triple-A team and the Yankees' Double-A team.

The Giants announced earlier this month that they had parted ways with Renel Brooks-Moon, who had served in the role since the ballpark opened in 2000. They plan to change PA announcers early in the season while they look for a long-term solution.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants are expected to have one of the National League's best rotations by the end of April, and former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray will join the group in the middle of the summer. But at least in the first week it's a kind of climbing exercise.

Three options remained in Arizona when the Giants returned to the Bay Area this week. Alex Cobb is weeks ahead of schedule in his rehab from hip surgery, but he's not quite ready to return to the big leagues just yet. Keaton Winn will play in a minor league game on Wednesday as he recovers from elbow discomfort at the start of training camp. Blake Snell will pitch this Friday, building on Sunday's three-inning outing, which was his first since signing a two-year deal with the Giants.

Winn could be an option as early as Monday in Los Angeles, which would be the fifth game of the season. In theory, Snell could be added to the roster as early as next Wednesday, although with an off day right after the season-opening road trip, it might make more sense to push him back for the home opener when he feels he's ready. The Giants have been tight-lipped about Cobb's schedule, but he's believed to be close.

The situation could result in the Giants only having three true starting pitchers on Opening Day. Mason Black appeared poised for a rotation spot until the others were ready, but the Giants moved him to minor league camp on Tuesday afternoon. Since Black is not on the 40-man roster, the Giants can bring him back early in the year if necessary.

The Giants also reassigned left-hander Juan Sanchez and outfielder Ismael Munguia. All three had strong starts, with Munguia winning the Barney Nugent Award, given to the player who is most impressive in his first big league camp.

“Both [Black and Sanchez] “Sometimes he threw a good pitch,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “We have a lot of tough decisions to make, but all of these guys also know they're just a phone call away. “Our guys know the 26-man roster means a lot more as the season goes on, so you've got to be ready. It could happen at any time.

The Giants also have plenty of other balls in the air.

Mike Yastrzemski's wife, Paige, is due to give birth to the couple's second child on Friday, and although Yastrzemski plans to play on Thursday, he will likely be on the paternity list for the remainder of the season-opening road series against the San Diego Padres.

Running out of options, Joey Bart met with Melvin after Tuesday's game. It's possible the Giants use him as a third catcher while they consider other roster moves. It would probably be easier to sneak Bart through waivers a few days into the season than in the next day or two when 29 other teams set their own rosters.

The Giants also need multiple 40-man spots. Nick Ahmed appears to be the Opening Day shortstop, and non-roster invitees Daulton Jefferies and Landen Roupp have been fighting for open bullpen spots.

San Francisco was still working on moves late Tuesday night and planned to fly to San Diego on Wednesday. As last year's last-minute addition of Matt Beaty showed, problems often arise until the very last minute.

Super provider

Tyler Fitzgerald took a quick first base lesson with Ron Wotus before the game and then landed at the position for the final three innings on Tuesday night. It's another glove for the young utility man, who now has experience in all four infield spots and can also play center field.

The front office and new coaching staff are excited about Fitzgerald, who showcased his speed-power combination in a cameo late last season. The roster lacks defensive versatility, and Fitzgerald's ability to now fill eight different spots may be why he gets the final backup spot.

Former first-rounder back on track?

Hunter Bishop was brought to San Francisco to join the group of minor league players who rounded out the roster for two exhibition games, although he did not appear in Tuesday's game. Bishop didn't play last season after Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm, but he said he was fully healthy and felt great about how his body and swing felt this spring.

It's been five years since the Giants made Bishop their first first-round pick under Farhan Zaidi and Michael Holmes, and he's watched the majority of that first-round class already reach the big leagues. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if Bishop was back on the radar this season. He is one of the organization's best athletes and even after years of battling injuries, he is still only 25 years old.

If Bishop starts in Double-A, he would be part of a very athletic outfield. Speedy centerfielder Grant McCray will begin his season there after hitting 14 home runs and stealing 52 bases in the High-A League last season.

New voices

The announcer for the first game of the year at Oracle Park was Carolyn “CJ” Silas, the long-time PA announcer for Cal Poly Baseball. Silas has more than 30 years of experience behind the microphone, including stints with the Blue Jays' Triple-A team and the Yankees' Double-A team.

The Giants announced earlier this month that they had parted ways with Renel Brooks-Moon, who had served in the role since the ballpark opened in 2000. They plan to change PA announcers early in the season while they look for a long-term solution.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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The San Francisco 49ers cut their roster from 90 to 53 ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline. While several players who were released or waived ahead of the deadline will make it to the 17-man practice squad, others have played their final game with the 49ers.

We already saw San Francisco make a significant move ahead of the deadline, sending quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys on Friday. That pretty much settles the quarterback situation in Northern California, with Brandon Allen now on the 53.

Wide receivers Danny Gray and Ray-Ray McCloud are expected to miss several weeks due to injury. Neither player was placed on injured reserve ahead of Tuesday’s roster cut deadline. That would have forced them to miss the entire 2023 season. The same thing can’t be said for rookie tight end Cameron Latu who was placed on injured reserve with a torn meniscus in his knee.

Veteran kicker Zane Gonzalez joins him on injured reserve as do cornerback A.J. Parker and safety Travis Hawkins. Meanwhile reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa will not count against the initial 53 as he continues his long holdout.

San Francisco 49ers 53-Man Roster

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster. Keep in mind that it will change a lot ahead of Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Quarterbacks (3)

San Francisco 49ers’ QBs for 2023. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)Getty Images

Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen

The trade of Lance pretty much ended any discussion about who San Francisco was going to keep on its 53-man roster at quarterback. There is a chance that the 49ers do look outside of the organization for an upgrade over Allen. But that seems unlikely at this point.

Will Grier showed out in his final appearance with the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. He could be an option after being released by Dallas.

Running Backs (5)

49ers’ preseason finale, Jordan Mason made it on to the 53. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)Getty Images

Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Ty Davis-Price, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk

Veterans Jeremy McNichols and Brian Hill were the odd men out. One will likely land on the 49ers’ practice squad. Ty Davis-Price did enough during the preseason to earn a spot on the 53. Despite a fumble in the preseason finale, Mason’s downhill running ability is something nice to have as a reserve.

At fullback, undrafted free agent Jack Colletto will likely find himself on the practice squad should another team not claim him. He impressed big time during the summer and could eventually be the heir apparent to Juszczyk moving forward. But it was risky to expose him to waivers.

Tight Ends (4)

George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley, Brayden Willis

With Latu going on injured reserve, San Francisco’s tight end situation is not great. Woerner was rostered because of his blocking ability, not his pass-catching ability (eight receptions in three seasons). A veteran of five seasons with San Francisco, Dwelley caught a mere three passes in 12 games last year.

It was interesting to see San Francisco keep rookie seventh-round pick Brayden Willis out of Oklahoma. He offers the most upside from a pass-catching perspective of any San Francisco tight end outside of Kittle. This is one position I expect San Francisco to look outside of the organization for an upgrade ahead of Week 1.

Wide Receivers (6)

for the San Francisco 49ers’ 53-man roster. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)Getty Images

Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Danny Gray, Ronnie Bell, Ray-Ray McCloud

This situation is a bit cloudy due to injuries to both McCloud and Gray. I expect both to be placed on injured reserve after final cuts, enabling them to return at some point in the first half of the season. At that point, the 49ers will likely re-sign Willie Snead and Chris Conley to the active roster or practice squad after they were released in final cuts.

However, Ronnie Bell is the name to watch here. The seventh-round pick from Michigan showed out big time during the preseason. Will it be enough for him to earn a big role heading into the regular season? Time will tell on that front.

Offensive Line (9)

Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford, Colton McKivitz, Jaylon Moore, Matt Pryor, John Feliciano, Nick Zakelj

San Francisco typically keeps eight offensive linemen. But with question marks at right tackle and guard, going with nine made sense.

That’s where veterans Pryor and Feliciano come into play. Both can suit up at multiple positions, creating a ton of versatility off the bench. As for former undrafted free agent Jason Poe, San Francisco is hoping to hide the talented second-year player on the practice squad for another season after waiving him on Tuesday.

MORE FROM FORBESNFL Free Agents The San Francisco 49ers Should Still TargetBy Vincent Frank

Defensive Line (8)

missing all of last season to injury. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Clelin Ferrell, Drake Jackson, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Robert Beal Jr. Kevin Givens, Kalia Davis

The 49ers kept only eight defensive linemen in their final 53 with the aforementioned Bosa remaining a holdout. They hope that veterans Austin Bryant and Kerry Hyder Jr. return on the 17-man practice squad. If not, San Francisco will have to look outside of the organization for depth at the edge.

San Francisco is hoping for something out of two youngsters in that of defensive end Robert Beal Jr. and defensive tackle Kalia Davis. Beal is a rookie fifth-round pick out of Georgia while Davis missed his entire rookie season after the 49ers made the Central Florida product a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Linebackers (6)

Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Oren Burks, Dee Winters, Jalen Graham, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

I am not sure if the 49ers are going to end up keeping six linebackers. It was interesting that both Winters and Graham made the initial 53.

A sixth-round pick out of Texas Christian back in April, Winters displayed a ton of athleticism and field awareness during training camp. Meanwhile, Graham was the 49ers’ last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He might have been the biggest surprise of the summer camp. Burks, Winters, Graham and Flannigan-Fowles can also play special teams, which helped their cause.

Cornerbacks (5)

Oliver earned a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Samuel Womack, Ambry Thomas, Isaiah Oliver

The one surprise is that Oliver made San Francisco’s 53-man roster. He struggled big time in training camp and during limited preseason action. Apparently, the $2.9 million Oliver received in guaranteed cash during NFL free agency played a role here. He’ll compete for starting nickel cornerback duties moving forward.

Undrafted rookie free agent D’Shawn Jamison from Texas was seen as a favorite to earn a spot on the 53. The 49ers are hoping he makes it through waivers after a solid summer performance. If not, they’ll have to look elsewhere for depth.

Safeties (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Tashaun Gipson, Ji’Ayir Brown, George Odum

None of these four are a surprise. Hufanga and Gipson are San Francisco’s unquestioned starters with the former having earned All-Pro honors last season. Brown played extremely well during the preseason. As a third-round pick from Penn State, I am expecting him to see action in nickel situations out of the gate.

MORE FROM FORBESSan Francisco 49ers on the Forbes NFL Team Valuations List

Meanwhile, Odum is a special teams standout. He actually earned second-team All-Pro honors in his first season with the 49ers in 2022.

Specalists (3)

Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Jake Moody, Mitch Wishnowsky, Taybor Pepper

San Francisco’s first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jake Moody is currently sidelined with a quad injury. It remains to be seen if the rookie third-round pick will be able to go Week 1. The 49ers did bring in multiple veteran kickers this week and could potentially look to re-sign Robbie Gould.

As for the other two positions, there was no real intrigue here. Wishnowsky was a lock to make the team as a punter and Pepper has been a standout long snapper during his time in San Francisco.

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Formerly of Yahoo! Sports, Bleacher Report, Pro Football Focus and Fox Sports.

The Bay to Vegas!!!

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Third-year San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance went from being unquestioned starter this time last year to competing for the QB2 job with veteran journeyman Sam Darnold.

It’s been a pretty big fall for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It appears that this has continued through the early portion of training camp. David Lombardi of The Athletic noted that Lance struggled on Friday, completing just 1-of-4 passes with two of his incompletions being seen as easy conversions.

In fact, Lance threw the least number of passes compared to Purdy (11) and Darnold (seven) on Friday. It’s the clearest indication yet this summer that he’s falling behind on the 49ers’ depth chart.

But Lance appears to be taking it all in stride after missing all but two games of his sophomore campaign to an ankle injury.

“Just taking it one day at a time,” Lance told reporters Friday when asked about his spot on the 49ers’ depth chart. “I’m very present-mind focused. Every rep, one rep at a time, one day at a time, one meeting at a time. Whatever it is, I truly believe everything works out exactly how it’s supposed to. So as long as I control what I can control, that’s all I can worry about.”

Since returning to practice on Thursday after suffering an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game, sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy has taken all of the first-team reps.

Meanwhile, Lance and Darnold have been alternating second-team reps throughout the summer session. Some have even come to the conclusion that Darnold is the odds-on choice to be No. 2 behind Purdy.

For Lance’s part, he spent the offseason working with personal quarterback coach Jeff Christensen, who retooled his elongated throwing motion, among other things.

“The game has slowed down a lot,” Lance told reporters. “Just going to continue to get better, though. … It’s more my feet, honestly, than anything from the last couple of years. But, yeah, I don’t find myself liking to watch the mechanics side of the last couple of years’ reps. I feel like I’m in a much, much better place now, for sure.”

Related: Ranking all 32 NFL starting QBs

Trey Lance’s spot on the San Francisco 49ers’ roster is iffy

Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Lance’s optimism aside, the first few days of 49ers training camp have just been a continuation of rumors about his status with San Francisco moving forward.

The 49ers are going to have to make a decision if Lance can’t beat Darnold out less than 2.5 years after they exhausted a huge draft haul to trade up for the young quarterback.

It must be noted that the North Dakota State product has thrown all of 102 passes in two NFL seasons. Dating back to the end of the 2019 season in college, that number stands at a mere 132 passes. Heck, he’s thrown 420 passes since high school.

Trey Lance NFL stats: 54.9% completion, 797 yards, 6 total TD, 3 INT, 84.5 QB rating

The larger question here is whether San Francisco can get anything of substance for Lance should the team decide to move off him. Back in the spring, 49ers general manager John Lynch indicated that there wasn’t much interest from other teams.

Regardless of Lance’s positive attitude, continued struggles moving forward in training camp and the preseason will be telling as the regular season approaches.

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A once-stray cat rescued from an animal shelter and adopted by a loving family is now helping people at a California airport.

Duke Ellington Morris, a 14-year-old black and white cat, became the first cat to join San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) therapy animal team, known as the “Wag Brigade,” in late May.

In 2010, Duke was rescued from the streets of San Francisco where he was found starving alongside other feral cats and taken to San Francisco Animal Care and Control. There, a 5-year-old girl spotted the tuxedo cat and her family quickly took him home.

“I can hear my daughter screaming with joy, ‘I love the black and white kitten.’ And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?'” Duke’s owner Jen Morris told SF Gate. “We met Duke and he focused on my daughter. And I figured if a cat wants a 5-year-old to be their next protector, he can’t be that bad.”

Duke Ellington Morris joined the California Airport Wag Brigade as the first cat to join the San Francisco International Airport Therapy Animal Team.
Instagram

Duke’s people were quickly impressed by his calm and warm demeanor, and had him certified as a therapy animal through the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ animal-assisted therapy program.

The special cat — named after the jazz great — has worked as an animal therapist for a decade, visiting patients in hospitals across the city to comfort them through difficult times.

Now he’s helping airport visitors relieve travel-related stress by joining the ragtag crew of SFO therapy animals, which includes several dogs, as well as a rabbit named Alex the Great and a pig named LiLou – all certified and tested therapy animals.

The non-human therapists walk through the airport terminals in “Pet Me” vests to comfort anxious travelers. The program launched in 2013 and returned in 2021 after a 20-month hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.

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Hard breakthrough for the optional rookie.

• From
  
  Bryan Murphy
  

• on May 29, 2023 1:25 p.m

That’s the hard part about being a newbie – you’re largely expendable. The San Francisco Giants selected right-back Tristan Beck for the return to the Triple-A Sacramento ahead of this afternoon’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Beck’s last three appearances have been exactly what the Giants needed — length from their bullpen. His line: 9 IP 2 H 1 ER, 10 K ZERO walks. It’s exactly what the Giants set their pitchers for: 95 with the fastball and a 2,500 rpm slider spin.

I thought he might start here soon, but the Giants might like what they’ve seen from Sean Manaea and Jakob Junis lately and think another long arm in the bullpen is irrelevant. He could also go down to warm up to eventually come back up and start.

Austin Slater’s return will be a welcome one. He’s one of the team’s biggest threats against lefties and with Rich Hill on the hill today it’s a good decision. He has only played 8 games this season due to injury but has hit .368/.455/.421 in 22 PA, 13 of them against lefties. This line, which is left-handed only, is .583/.615/.667.

Beck’s stock has seen some ups and downs in the first month of this season, but he had such a solid upside in May that I’m looking forward to his return. It’s just one of those things where he pitched just yesterday and the Giants needed the roster spot. In the event of an injury, he could be recalled even before the usual 10-day waiting period, and given that this is the San Francisco Giants, an injury could come very, very soon.

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Also some info on Anthony DeSclafani’s toe.

• From
  
  Bryan Murphy
  

• on May 14, 2023 11:15 am

A few minutes ago, the San Francisco Giants announced that after yesterday’s game, David Villar was selected for the Triple-A Sacramento to activate Brandon Crawford for tonight’s finals in Arizona.

Not at all surprising — Susan Slusser interviewed him in an article published May 10, in which even he knew the signs were up — but another step that shows the Giants are walking a tightrope in rebuilding and developing . Gabe Kapler says in the Slusser article I wanted to write here:

“The only thing I still want to be very clear about is that David has only had 100 record appearances,” said Kapler. “It’s a really quick look and given his track record you know he’s a good hitter. I didn’t even pay a moment’s attention to the traditional line stats. Underneath, there were enough hard shots and consistent enough balls in the air that you feel like he’s going to get some good results in the end.

Villar’s 50% ball rate is exactly 100 PA and his 14.3% FB/HR rate is almost exactly the same as the team’s overall rate of 17.4% (second best in MLB). However, the 30% strikeout rate is a real disappointment – he just doesn’t put a lot of balls in play. Statcast likes his defense and we saw him do well on second base after JD Davis’ glove on third base was so surprising that it overpowered him.

At the end of last year I raised my flag at Villar:

Villar’s success doesn’t seem to me to be a coincidence. Those 47 home runs come with a .275/.388/.555 line in 812 plate appearances. He carried this over to a .231/.332/.455 line in 181 major league plate appearances.

[…]

FanGraphs’ Steamer predictions rate Davis and Villar similarly and not in a way that suggests they will be key players — .325 woBA for both, with Villar ahead in fWAR and homers: 1.5 to 1.1 13 to 11 respectively. I’m not smart enough to refute predictions, I can only assume what I’ve seen after four years of the Zaidi era, and that’s how they were able to figure out a usage model that maximizes players’ skills. Most of these skills are reflected in publicly available statistics, but not all.

The Giants both have no glaring need that would compel them to be patient for Villar to “complete his development at the major league level” (an expression we’ve heard before when talking about certain prospects in certain situations goes). Let’s hope he can triple-A and retain those lessons when he comes back.

I have a feeling they will need David Villar’s racquet at some point this season.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, the return of Brandon Crawford means Casey Schmitt will be pushed throughout infield if he doesn’t spell the 36-year-old. This will be another important moment for Crawford as – like Villar – there are some signs hanging on the wall. We all know this is Crawford’s final season in the Giants jersey. It could be his last season in Major League Baseball. The 36-year-old midfielder’s story doesn’t point to a triumphant ending. However, it’s still worth introducing him as a starter to see where he lands on the spectrum of prepared and playable characters, and it will be a good test of Schmitt’s versatility.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Luke Jackson will be an important name to remember as we near the end of the month. As Alex Pavlovic notes, he is eligible to complete the 60-day IL (in which he rehabilitated after Tommy John’s surgery) on May 29.

Back in January I wrote about the Jackson acquisition – which is still sort of one of Zaidi’s biggest moves as a POBO – and called it John Brebbia 2.0. In 2021, he pitched in 11 of Atlanta’s 16 postseason games, but also saw his slider spin rate drop after the league began cracking down on sticky players. And then he had TJ surgery last year.

The Giants will need a fresher version of John Brebbia to get through the rest of the season. The one they have now is showing signs of wear and tear from last season’s overuse, and if the Rays’ model of treating pitchers like chewing gum has now become the industry norm, the Giants are going to need a new stick of spearmint here soon. The bullpen is still wobbly.

Of course, the rotation is looking a little shaky at the moment due to Anthony DeSclafani’s toe issue. We found out yesterday that a piano bench fell on his toe the other day and it’s still causing him problems. Everyone I know who has had a fracture or other toe injury has never fully recovered from it. He needs to get a special shoe or something. We hope he doesn’t miss any time. The Giants really need his arm…and they have to hope he doesn’t overcompensate to the point of increasing the risk of an arm injury.

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Hours before the San Francisco Giants open a four-game series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, the club made a handful of notable roster moves.

Newly signed outfielder and designated hitter Mitch Haniger will make his Giants debut Monday night after being activated by the injured list early in the afternoon. Haniger had been out with an oblique strain since mid-March. The former Seattle Mariners fan favorite signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract with the Giants this winter. The Giants targeted 2022 American League MVP Aaron Judge and All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa via free hands last winter. After failing to sign both players, the Giants added Michael Conforto and Haniger. Haniger will finally make his much-anticipated debut with the Giants on Monday night.

Haniger will bat third and play at left field in his first game with the Giants Monday.

Haniger started his major league career with the Arizona Diamondbacks but was traded with Jean Segura to the Seattle Mariners in a trade for Taijuan Walker. In his first six big league seasons, Haniger has a career slash of .261/.335/.811. In 2021, Haniger hit a career-high with 39 homers and 100 RBI.

The Giants also activated 10-Day IL Monday outfielder Austin Slater. Both players spent a brief stint at Triple-A Sacramento in a rehab stint before returning to the Giants’ active roster.

In a related move, the Giants placed infielder and outfielder Darin Ruf on the 10-day IL with right wrist inflammation. Outfielder Brett Wiseley was also drafted to Triple-A Sacramento to make way for Slater and Haniger.

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When the clock struck 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers began looking for options. The league’s deadline for teams to reduce their roster to 53 players had come and gone. Squads that had previously started with 90 hopefuls are now limited to 53 people for the 2021 season. As with all duty roster cuts, there were surprises. Today we’re taking a look at the three biggest surprises in recent roster cuts.

Jonas Griffith, LB

Griffith is entering his second season in the NFL. He wasn’t drafted in 2020 and was signed by the 49ers before being abandoned in August. Two months later he was signed to the Indianapolis training team before finding his way onto the San Francisco training team. The 49ers signed him a reserve contract after the season and he has enjoyed some solid performances with the team in the minicamp and preseason. However, before the final cuts for the 49ers, Griffith was traded.

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The craft of the young linebacker surprised many. Griffith was likely the underdog in San Francisco as the starters were locked up before the training camp opened and the remaining depth had an experience advantage. Griffith and a 7th round 2022 pick were shipped to Denver for a 6th round 2022 and 7th round 2023 selection. The Broncos held Griffith high enough that they didn’t want to risk waivers for the linebacker.

Wayne Galllman II, RB

After four seasons with the Giants, Gallman made his way west and signed as a free agent with the 49ers during the off-season. Gallman signed a $ 990,000 one-year deal with the team just to be the last running back for the 49ers. San Francisco added two talented rookie running backs in Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon. Mitchell was a perpetual free agent who signed a four-year contract for $ 3.66 million back in May.

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Sermon was drafted in the third round from Ohio State. With Jeff Wilson Jr. on the injured reserve list, it was believed the 49ers would keep Gallman to start the season as a veteran backup behind Raheem Mostert. However, both Sermon and Mitchell flashed a couple of times during the preseason and Gallman became dispensable. Add on Michell’s return skills and the writing was on the wall.

Nsimba Webster, WR

Webster’s signature, which appeared to be at the low end of the roster during the free agency, wasn’t received with much fanfare. However, after his first two seasons with the Rams, Webster made a reputation for being a solid streak on specialty teams, with some perks. Nsimba had experienced the time as a returnee in Los Angeles and was welcomed into a large reception room full of question marks. However, a solid training camp and preseason gigs from the likes of Trent Sherfield and Jauan Jenning, as well as Jalen Hurd’s relative health, left Webster in the bladder. It was San Francisco’s decision to stay with Hurd that ultimately sealed Webster’s fate. San Francisco opted for the bigger and stronger options on the wide receiver and Webster’s special team skills were neutered by the presence of Sherfield and Elijah Mitchell in the second leg.

– Ryan Adverderada is Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage 49ers. It also covers the Arizona Cardinals for full press coverage. Like and follow on Follow @ryanadverderada

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