Yunior Marte was sleeping in Reno this morning when he got one of the biggest calls of his life. The call.
Luckily for him, Marte’s roommate, Giants prospect Gregory Santos, woke him up. The 27-year-old reliever from Dominican Republic, after nine years in the minor leagues, was finally heading to The Show. He’d been added to the Giants’ big-league roster as Tyler Rogers hits the paternity list.
“It feels really good,” Marte told reporters in the Oracle Park clubhouse. “It’s something that i’ve been waiting for for a long time. When (the call) finally came, I couldn’t believe it, but I’m very happy to be here.”
San Francisco added Marte to its 40-man roster after last season, a transaction that surprised the righty. But he had finished the year strong with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings in September and October. Then the righty impressed Giants brass in the spring with his fastball that can touch 100 mph.
Marte carried the momentum from spring into this Triple-A season, tossing four perfect innings for the River Cats. He struck out six in three appearances.
Originally an international signing by Kansas City in 2012, Marte joined the Giants organization last offseason on a minor league deal. He’s spent the last nine years in the minors.
It’s the first time Marte has been added to a big-league roster. If he sees action, he’ll become the second Giants prospect — joining Heliot Ramos — to make his MLB debut less than a week into the 2022 season.
After Santos woke him up Tuesday morning, Marte called his mom, Neri, who’s back home in Santo Domingo.
“There was a lot of screaming,” Marte said. “There was a lot of happiness.”
- Heliot Ramos isn’t in the starting lineup Tuesday, but is expected to go Wednesday against lefty Sean Manaea. His parents and brother, Héctor, took photos together on the field before batting practice.
- John Brebbia is expected back from bereavement leave Wednesday, meaning more roster moves are coming imminently.
- Tuesday is the first City Connect jersey day for the Giants. San Francisco went 8-1 in the threads last year.