The Giants’ biggest acquisition around the trade deadline could end up being Thairo Estrada, the quick second baseman who’s been sidelined since July 2.
As manager Gabe Kapler and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi broke down the club’s trade for Seattle outfielder AJ Pollock, Estrada took on-field batting practice and faced the high-velocity pitching machine. If all goes well, he’ll begin a rehab assignment for Sacramento Tuesday night.
The plan, Kapler said, is for Estrada to play five innings in the field and get a couple at-bats in his first rehab game. Then he’ll serve as designated hitter. The club will re-evaluate where things stand from there.
Before Estrada fractured his left hand on a hit-by-pitch, he was one of San Francisco’s most valuable players. Estrada, 27, is slashing .272/.327/.434 with nine home runs and 18 stolen bases.
Since he was wearing a protective hand shield, the infielder avoided what could’ve been an even more severe injury.
Without Estrada for just about the entire month of July, the Giants’ offense has sunk to the bottom of the league. San Francisco ranks last in July in runs scored, batting average and team wRC+. Right-handed outfielder Mitch Haniger has also been injured, weakening SF’s attack against left-handed pitching.
In Estrada’s absence, Casey Schmitt, Brett Wisely, and more recently Marco Luciano have gotten chances. Estrada returning will lengthen the Giants’ order, and the club is also hoping the newly acquired Pollock can provide depth, particularly against lefties.
“One of the things that has concerned us about our lineup is we’re just not getting the quality of at-bats from the top two-thirds of the order as the bottom third of the order,” Zaidi said.
Since Estrada is only on the 10-day injured list, he can return to the Giants’ roster whenever he’s fully healthy and ready.
If Pollock winds up being the only position player the Giants acquire before the Aug. 1 deadline, Estrada — and later Haniger — would become the club’s most impactful reinforcements for the stretch run.
With the 58-48 Giants leading a pack of possibly seven National League teams realistically fighting for three wild card spots, they’ll need anything they can get.
“We were joking about how in 2021 we were playing playoff games every games down the stretch,” Zaidi said. “We should probably feel that way this year, too, because we’re in a pretty crowded race for the playoffs in the NL.”
- John Brebbia (lat strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot necessary to receive both Pollock and utility man Mark Mathias from Seattle. Since Brebbia last pitched on June 16, he’ll be eligible to come off the IL on Aug. 15. Brebbia has been progressing well from his injury, with most of his rehab coming with the team in San Francisco.
- The Giants placed Mike Yastrzemski on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, which will likely keep him out for two-to-three weeks. It’s the third time Yastrzemski’s left hamstring has flared up this season.
Pollock could take some of Yastrzemski’s at-bats while he’s injured, but the former Dodger has historically been more effective against left-handed hitters. Backup catcher Blake Sabol is starting in left field against Arizona on Monday night.
- In place of Yastrzemski, the Giants called up infielder Isan Diaz. Since he might only be with the big-league club for a day or two, it made sense to recall him instead of Brett Wisely or even Bryce Johnson because of the new rule that limits options to five per year.
- Top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison (hamstring strain) is scheduled to throw two innings Monday night in the Arizona Complex League, Zaidi said. He could return to Sacramento later this week.
“We’re hopeful that he’ll be back on track and still, maybe, be a guy who can pitch for us this season,” Zaidi said.
- Anthony DeSclafani, who was placed on the 15-day IL with a right flexor strain, expressed optimism that he’ll be able to pitch again this year, though Zaidi said he “may be” out for the year.
DeSclafani said that he’d been dealing with arm soreness for a couple months, but it became unbearable after a recent bullpen session. He won’t throw for several weeks as the discomfort calms down.
With DeSclafani, Harrison, Keaton Winn, and prospect Carson Whisenhunt each succumbing to recent injuries, the Giants are less likely to deal away one of their veteran pitchers at the deadline.
“It’s kind of a wake-up call on how easily that pitching depth can evaporate,” Zaidi said. “I think we’re open to it, but…we’re kind of in a different position than we were even a week ago. I think it’s less likely we explore something there. It kind of feels right now that we have just enough pitching to be comfortable and have some options. But we’ll see what happens.”
- Asked outright if Zaidi would be disappointed if the Pollock deal is the only one the Giants can complete before the trade deadline, the president of baseball operations expressed a commitment to staying disciplined in their approach. The club doesn’t want to make a trade just to make a trade, or overpay for a player in a way that would be contrary to their philosophy.
They have to balance that with a desire to project confidence to the clubhouse.
“There’s still ways we can help the club with some complementary pieces, with some guys that are still available in trades,” Zaidi said. “So we’re going to keep pushing on that. You just never know for sure what’s going to happen. The effort, both to communicate the message to the club that we can go really far this year, but also just on paper become a better club, those are objectives we have to still have.”