SAN FRANCISCO — Giants manager Bruce Bochy has not allowed the flood of injuries that have ravaged the roster throughout the first half of the season to be used as an excuse. He has not admitted content with a middling record, either, though at 41-39 entering Wednesday night, it seems unreasonable to have expected much better with the constant attrition.
Yet Bochy does not dismiss the importance of health. When asked what his team must do to ensure a successful second half of the season, prior to Wednesday’s matchup with the visiting Colorado Rockies, Bochy first identified returning a full lineup.
Each Giants infielder, aside from shortstop Brandon Crawford, has missed at least 13 games this season. The Giants have not had their top three starting pitchers activated on the roster at the same time once. For brief stretches, Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, and Jeff Samardzija have all been sidelined simultaneously, forcing young and inexperienced pitchers to step into starting roles.
“The biggest piece is stay healthy,” Bochy said. “That’s been our toughest issue the first half. But, with that said, you can look at some things in the first half we probably could have been a little better at. Early, we didn’t hit with runners in scoring position very well. I think right now, the pitching has been more consistent. We have been swinging the bat more consistently. I think the defense has picked up.”
The Giants are enjoying one of their best stretches of the season, winning six of their past seven games entering Wednesday. Without Cueto and Samardzija, the starting pitching staff has stepped up, aided by Bumgarner’s return earlier this month.
The Giants offense has averaged only four runs per game during this seven-game stretch. The starting pitching, meanwhile, has produced a 3.95 ERA, including five quality starts. And during the current three-game winning streak, the starting pitching has allowed just three combined runs in 18.4 innings pitched.
That improved production has put Bochy in a tough spot, as he will have to determine which starters will remain in the five-man rotation when Samardzija and Cueto return.
Samardzija (shoulder stiffness) is scheduled to make one more rehab start, his fourth of this current stint before returning to the big league club. He struggled during his most recent Triple-A appearance, allowing six runs and seven hits in four innings of work. He threw 40 of his 88 pitches in the first inning alone.
The last time Samardzija returned from the disabled list, he had made only one rehab start. The Giants may have rushed him back with the bleak state of the starting pitching staff in mind, but with its recent production, Bochy can be more patient this time around.
“I think we can cover ourselves a little bit better by being sure on this one, and make sure we have him to a point where we don’t have to be concerned with how many times he gets up,” Bochy said. “I just think we can be a little more on the cautious side this time with the coverage we have.”
Cueto is likely looking at two, potentially three, more rehab starts before he returns. Third baseman Evan Longoria will likely be sidelined for at least a month with a fractured hand injury he suffered two weeks ago.
Once those players return, Bochy’s top priority, he will emphasize a couple more keys to ending the season in the thick of the playoff race.
“You look at all the analytics you want,” Bochy said. “You got to have that timely pitching. You got to have timely hitting.”
