Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
If FanFest is the unofficial opening pitch to the Giants’ season, it started with disastrous news.
Aramis Garcia, who had been penciled in as the Opening Day backup catcher, could miss the year after arthroscopic surgery on his labrum Thursday. The Giants said he is expected to be sidelined 6-8 months after a right hip injury that was first incurred in late December while playing in the winter league in the Dominican Republic.
After treatment and rehabilitation, Garcia recently got a second opinion that recommended the labrum surgery that is a severe blow to an unlucky catcher.
Garcia, originally a second-round pick, was limited to 47 minor league games in 2016 after suffering multiple facial fractures that required surgery. He rebounded with a nice minor league season in 2017, then hit the majors in 2018 and showed promise (.286/.308/.492). He stalled last year, spending most of it in Triple-A Sacramento as Stephen Vogt rose, and now could miss all of 2020.
This blows open the Gants’ backup catcher competition, which now probably has a front-runner of Tyler Heineman, a 28-year-old switch-hitter who got a taste of the majors last year with the Marlins. The Los Angeles product works the count and is known for plate discipline, but he had been buried in the minors since 2012.
Rob Brantly, a 30-year-old lefty who could complement Buster Posey, also will be in the running, a fringe option for years who is also regarded for having a good eye, but also just 126 major league games since debuting in 2012. He got an at-bat for Gabe Kapler’s Phillies last year.
Chad Tromp, a 24-year-old picked up from the Reds’ system, also will be in camp, a similar profile as his competitors (.280/.397/.568 in 42 games of an injury-shortened year last season), and he has the disadvantage of being a righty, as is Posey.
Unless something drastic happens, Joey Bart is not expected to be in the mix, with the Giants feeling the star prospect needs more time to marinate in the minors before his call-up.
Bart will have to wait. As will Garcia, whose latest blow came when he appeared to have his best crack at a real role with the big-league Giants.
