Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants have promoted both Matt Frisbee and Sammy Long from Double-A Richmond to Triple-A Sacramento and, in doing so, created a couple potential call-ups should they have a need in the rotation or for a long arm out of the bullpen.
They also lost another of those options officially on Thursday.
Righty Shun Yamaguchi, whom the Giants brought in during spring training, was released from Triple-A and will head back to Japan, he announced on Instagram. In his post, he thanked both the Giants and Blue Jays, with whom he spent the 2020 season.
Yamaguchi was assigned to Sacramento out of camp and had a middling, five-outing tenure in which he posted a 6.17 ERA. Known for his splitter, the 33-year-old showed flashes — 25 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings, during which opponents batted .216 against him — but a lack of command (14 walks).
The righty had been a star in Nippon Professional Baseball of Japan before coming over to the Blue Jays last year and struggling (8.06 ERA) in limited time with the club during the pandemic-shortened season. The Giants took a no-cost chance on him, and it will not pay off.
Among those taking Triple-A starts instead will be Frisbee, who officially was promoted Thursday after being named the Pitcher of the Month for the Double-A Eastern League in May, in which he pitched six innings of a no-hitter and seven one-hit innings in his last start before his call-up. He will be joining Long, whose first start with Triple-A Sacramento included his striking out the first eight batters he saw.
In more in-the-weeds news, lefty Phil Pfeifer was moved down to Double-A Richmond after struggling trough 12 Triple-A innings, and infielder Arismendy Alcántara was activated off the IL.