The Giants’ bullpen has been elite for the past two weeks, posting a 0.78 ERA over the past 13 games. The club could add another weapon to that already clicking group as soon as this week.
Luke Jackson, a World Series champion with the Atlanta Braves, is likely to come off the 60-day injured list in the coming days. He’s eligible to return on Monday, and manager Gabe Kapler said he’s “very close” to contributing for the Giants.
“You add a proven veteran presence to that bullpen mix, and you could see how that could give us a considerable boost,” Kapler said.
Jackson is in San Francisco with the team for the Pirates series. He’s pitched three of the past five games, disqualifying him from getting activated for the series finale. But there are no more apparent boxes for the right-hander to check.
Jackson had six rehab assignment outings. Most recently, he struck out the side in one inning of work.
“Good, three out of five,” Jackson said Monday. “(Elbow)’s still attached.”
The reliever said his command — his ability to pinpoint pitches within the strike zone — has lagged slightly behind his strike-throwing, control ability. At first, he said, he didn’t have much control over his pitches at all.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2022, Jackson rehabbed with the Atlanta organization and then signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract that has a club option for a third year. Jackson was coming off his best season in 2021, when he registered a 1.98 ERA, before getting injured and becoming a free agent.
Jackson’s imminent return appears to be on the optimistic end of the outcome spectrum for him and the Giants. If he returns this week, Jackson will have only missed two months of the season.
- Joc Pederson (hand contusion) will begin his hitting progression on Tuesday, per the team’s medical notes. He has been sidelined since May 15 after getting hit by a pitch.
- Austin Slater got reinstated from the injured list on Monday, pushing reliever Tristan Beck off the roster and to Triple-A. Beck’s farewell to his teammates and coaches was one of the more jolly sendoffs in recent memory. He doled out daps and hugs, left and right, in the Giants clubhouse before departing. Beck saved SF’s bullpen arms by tossing three perfect innings in Sunday’s series finale in Milwaukee and allowed just one run in his past nine innings pitched.
Slater is starting in left field and hitting leadoff against 43-year-old Rich Hill on Monday.
- Top prospect Kyle Harrison earned his second Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week Award this month. In two separate starts against the Oklahoma City Dodgers — the top PCL club — Harrison allowed one hit in 7.2 innings, striking out 14 while walking four. The one hit was a grounder to the vacant left side due to an infield shift.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi recently said Harrison still needs to improve his strike-throwing ability before earning a promotion. He’s also still ramping up into the 75-pitch count region. But the southpaw is getting awfully close to debuting.
- Brandon Crawford is starting at shortstop to begin a six-game home stand. Crawford also started last night in Milwaukee, so this is a quick turnaround for the 36-year-old veteran.
Hits in each of his past three games have improved Crawford’s batting average to .177.