Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
With Colorado seeing chilly temperatures and rain expected into the night Monday, the Giants and Rockies will get another taste of the seven-inning doubleheaders.
Coors Field will host two abbreviated games Tuesday, the first starting at 2:40 p.m. West Coast time. The second game will begin no later than 45 minutes following the conclusion of the first.
The Giants will stay on turn, still starting Aaron Sanchez and Alex Wood, who were supposed to go today and tomorrow. Though Gabe Kapler said they are unsure the order in which they’ll start.
Many Giants still reported to the field Monday, and pitching coach Andrew Bailey was set to take a group of pitchers out to play catch.
They likely will have two more players with whom to work Tuesday. Kapler did not have an update yet on Tommy La Stella’s strained hamstring, but he said the infielder has a “good amount of tightness” a day after coming up lame while running home. It’s expected he will need an injured list designation, and lefty-hitting infielder Jason Vosler would seem the most obvious candidate to be promoted from the taxi squad.
They will have a 27th player to add, though, under the doubleheader rules. Brandon Crawford “continues to feel better,” Kapler said, but it’s possible Thairo Estrada can be called up if the longtime Giants shortstop has to miss a few more games with a calf contusion. Also on the taxi squad are catcher Joey Bart, righty Kervin Castro and lefty Conner Menez.
Because of unpredictable Colorado weather, the Giants and Rockies wanted a doubleheader rather than hoping Thursday — a mutual off day — is clear, Kapler said. So they will return to a rule established during the pandemic that aims to minimize injury and expedite games when it’s hard to do both. Kapler talked with third-base coach Ron Wotus — “as traditional as they come” — on Monday.
“We both kind of smiled and said it’s just really nice that we’re going to try to cover 14 innings instead of two nine-inning games tomorrow,” the manager said.