© Darren Yamashita | 2021 Aug 21
The Giants made two roster moves ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Mets in Citi Field, one more surprising than the other.
Kevin Gausman, San Francisco’s ace, will hit the injured list. The stint is vaccine-related, so Gausman will be eligible to return whenever he feels better.
Gausman most recently started Saturday’s game, when LaMonte Wade Jr. put the Giants ahead of the Oakland Athletics with a pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning. Gausman struggled in the 6-5 win, lasting 3.2 innings and allowing five earned runs.
“The book is out on me,” Gausman said after that win.
Gausman’s splitter has appeared to have less bite since the All-Star Break, and he mixed in more sliders than usual in the A’s start. In the second half of the year, his ERA has popped to 5.17 compared to 1.73 in the first half.
The news comes as the Giants enter a 16-games-in-16-days stretch, and as pitching health is of the utmost importance.
SF also moved infielder Evan Longoria from the COVID-related injured list to the 10-day IL. After Sunday night’s win, manager Gabe Kapler said Longoria wasn’t feeling well after receiving his booster shot. But prior to that, Longoria was nursing a finger injury he suffered on a hit by pitch in the Mets series that knocked him out of multiple games.