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It’s possible some of the more important Giants at-bats during their upcoming road trip will be taken with the River Cats.
Donovan Solano could get “some rehab starts” while the Giants swing out to Pittsburgh and then Cincinnati beginning Thursday, Gabe Kapler said Tuesday, the most significant step before the Giants get their best hitter back in the lineup.
Sacramento itself will be on the road, in Oklahoma City from Thursday to Tuesday. Because only Triple-A clubs are included in the Tier 1 designation, rehab assignments would most likely come through that level; if Solano goes to, say, San Jose, he would have to wait a period of time before clearing protocols to be called up.
Solano has been out since suffering a moderate calf strain April 21. He took ground balls at second base before the Giants played the Rangers at Oracle Park on Tuesday, and Kapler said he ran on the field Monday without any issues.
Kapler did not want to estimate a date for his return, but if a rehab assignment goes well, it seems possible he could be ready for a home series with the Dodgers that starts May 21.
The need for Solano has been intensified by the loss of Tommy La Stella, who could be out another month. Wilmer Flores has seen a lot of time at second base, which has meant Evan Longoria is playing just about every day.
Both Solano and La Stella were injured on the road, and the Giants have spoken about the challenges of adapting to a schedule with a lot of plane trips, especially cross-country ones, after a shortened season mostly played on the West Coast. Kapler said he would have a sit-down with Buster Posey and maybe a few veterans to talk about the best way to handle their seven-game trip.
“I think that the easiest thing to monitor and appreciate is just workload — playing time — and how to get these guys enough rest and recovery,” Kapler said.
Righty John Brebbia, who was signed this offseason after June 2020 Tommy John surgery, was throwing on the field before the game. Kapler did not have a firm timetable for his Giants debut, but the former Cardinals weapon, who had a 3.14 ERA from 2017-19, may be essentially a midseason pickup in July or August.
“Everything is moving in the right direction,” Kapler said.
The Giants’ lineup for their Tuesday matinee against Texas’ Jordan Lyles:
1. Mike Tauchman, LF
2. Mike Yastrzemski, RF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Brandon Belt, 1B
5. Wilmer Flores, 2B
6. Brandon Crawford, SS
7. Curt Casali, C
8. Steven Duggar, CF
9. Logan Webb, P