ST. LOUIS — The rare break on a Friday left the Giants with just a two-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals. Jordan Hicks will pitch the first game and Logan Webb will go Sunday.
Right now, those two are also known as the Entire Giants Rotation.
Right-hander Keaton Winn hit the IL on Saturday with right elbow inflammation, a week after fellow young starter Kyle Harrison sprained his ankle. The only other starting option left on the roster is Spencer Howard, who tends to come out of the bullpen after an opener.
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Help is on the way, and while Webb is facing the Cardinals, Blake Snell and Robbie Ray will be pitching in the same Triple-A game in Sacramento. Snell could be back next week, but Ray will continue his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Alex Cobb, who threw a live BP session for the first time, is in a timeframe similar to Ray's.
The Giants expect both back around the All-Star break, likely right at the beginning of the second half. But for a few weeks, they’ll have to find a way to piece things together in two or maybe even three rotation spots.
“(Harrison) actually played catch yesterday and he’ll play catch again today and we’ll see where he is. Originally I didn’t think he had a chance to come back in the 15-day mark, but I wouldn’t rule that out now,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It would be nice to get him back here at some point before the break and then if we can get through the break and get some other guys back then it’s certainly a different look from us.”
Right-handers Mason Black and Kai-Wei Teng are options to fill innings right away, although they have struggled in previous looks. Prospects Carson Seymour, Hayden Birdsong and Carson Whisenhunt also are in Triple-A, although none are on the 40-man roster, a potential hurdle given that Ray and Cobb will need to come off the 60-day IL soon.
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Birdsong, who started the year in Double-A, may now be the most interesting name on the list. His fastball has been up to 99 mph and he has struck out 14 in two Triple-A starts while allowing five runs over nine innings.
Oblique Scare
Mike Yastrzemski was disappointed to last just a few innings at Rickwood Field, but a day after getting an MRI on his oblique, he was relieved he took the cautious approach. The left oblique strain was deemed mild and Yastrzemski hopes to be back when eligible in 10 days, although Melvin said that is possibly a touch optimistic.
Yastrzemski felt the tightness at Rickwood Field and had a difficult time coming out of the historic game. But he knew that pushing it could cost him six weeks or more.
“To actually use my brain in that situation and say I think this is the smarter decision to not try and push through it, it was good," Yastrzemski said. "Hopefully we'll get it on the right track here and be good to go."
Welcome Back
Infielder David Villar returned with Luis Matos and went right into the starting lineup. Melvin said Wilmer Flores is a bit banged up.
Villar played 98 games at the big league level the previous two seasons but this is his first call-up of 2024. He had a .839 OPS in Sacramento and said the last couple of weeks are the best he has felt at the plate.
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