LOS ANGELES — Friday’s starter — at least in name — and Saturday’s starter traded places on the Giants’ injured list.
John Brebbia, a key member of the Giants’ rotation, will likely miss significant time on the injured list. He was diagnosed with a Grade 2 lat strain after feeling discomfort following his start against the Dodgers in the series-opener.
Brebbia has a 3.18 ERA this season and led the National League in appearances last year. He has played a major role in San Francisco’s bullpen that has performed better than any other since May 15.
Alex Wood, meanwhile, is returning from the IL to start against his former team in Dodger Stadium.
Wood’s return to the rotation gives the Giants four healthy starters in Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani and Wood.
For weeks, the Giants have only had three traditional starters, giving Brebbia ample opportunities in the opener role, a job he’s embraced over the past two years. When he begins games for the Giants at Oracle Park, he walks out to “The Opener,” a jokey, self-deprecating tune befitting of the pitcher.
“I’m just the opener / no one came to see me,” the song starts.
As the opener on Friday, Brebbia struck out Mookie Betts in a clean first inning before feeling pain in his shoulder region.
Brebbia has a 1.00 ERA as the Giants’ opener this year, and a 0.90 ERA in the role across 19 career starts.
“It’s really disappointing for John, for us,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “He’s a pretty reliable dude at the back end of our bullpen, and also how many games has he opened for us? Been an absolute pro. Really disappointing for John. Really important part of what we’re doing around here, and we all love him.”
Brebbia’s career arc is sports movie script fodder. After getting cut by the Yankees in 2014, Brebbia persevered through independent ball, eventually reaching the Majors again, only to need Tommy John surgery in 2020. He has said that his experiences have made him constantly reflect on the fragility of being a baseball player.
“I’ve more or less thought that every day was going to be my last day playing for a long time,” Brebbia told KNBR last year. “I’ve been released before, I’ve gone through the period of ‘Okay, my baseball career is over.’ I’ve felt those emotions, and obviously it was terrible.”
Since fully recovering from Tommy John, Brebbia has posted an elite 3.17 ERA. The Giants agreed to a $2.3 million contract in his third year of arbitration this past winter, choosing to bring the righty back rather than turn over their bullpen more significantly.
In the short-term, the Giants recalled Tristan Beck to replace Brebbia in the pen. Keaton Winn is also with the club in Los Angeles, making him a potential candidate to join the roster. Since Ryan Walker is the only active reliever with minor league options, perhaps the Giants will use him on Saturday and swap him out for the series finale when he wouldn’t pitch a third consecutive game anyway.
In the long run, though, Brebbia’s absence will hurt. Grade 2 lat strains typically carry a recovery time of at least a month. The only other reliever to open a game this year is Scott Alexander, so he could step into that role with Brebbia sidelined.
Since May 15, the Giants’ bullpen has a 1.68 ERA and 3.0 WAR — both best in MLB. In that span, the Giants have the best record in MLB.
The Giants are at their best when their bullpen is fully stocked and firing consistently. Brebbia missing time won’t help.
- Veteran infielder Wilmer Flores also hit the injured list with a left foot contusion. Given the fact that he hit a home run after fouling a pitch off his foot, the injury probably isn’t too severe. He’s on the 10-day IL, with Beck taking his spot on the roster.
Flores’ homer through the pain was one of the craziest plays of an insane, instant classic Giants-Dodgers game.
- Dodgers starter Bobby Miller has a 0.78 ERA through four starts this year. He boasts a fastball that can touch triple digits, a changeup that he’s yet to give up a hit on and a slider that has held hitters to a 0.91 ERA. His most used pitch is his sinker, giving him a similar arsenal to Logan Webb.
With that kind of stuff, how in the world did Miller post a 5.65 ERA in Triple-A this year?
- Luis Matos drew three walks and hit two deep flyouts on Friday night. On his 11th-inning walk, Matos flipped his bat in celebration, which Kapler particularly enjoyed.
“I love that moment,” Kapler said. “The reason it’s most encouraging is because he understood how important it was. Players who celebrate walks, players who celebrate good at-bats, both for themselves and for other players…they get that the name of the game is to not make an out.”