© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The National League-leading Giants are just a bit closer to getting back to full strength. A handful of key players they’ve missed for the last few weeks and in some cases longer, are nearing their MLB returns as they work through their rehab assignments. The news provides a potential boon just before this weekend’s series against the Dodgers, which also comes with relaxed COVID-19 protocols.
Webb concerns alleviated, Solano appears close to return
Two names stand at the top of that list, in Logan Webb and Donovan Solano.
Webb pitched six shutout inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, allowing six hits and a walk with four strikeouts. He was pulled after 86 pitches due to shoulder soreness, but there wasn’t too much long-term concern immediately following the game, nor was there on Tuesday.
Manager Gabe Kapler said that Webb’s soreness had subsided and that his shoulder was feeling better. He expects him to make his next scheduled start this weekend.
Meanwhile, Solano, batting a crisp .300 in 50 at-bats this season, has been out with a calf strain since the Giants’ April 21 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, after which he was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Solano will play a full nine innings with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday night. If all goes well and he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he could return to the major league roster imminently.
Everything else: Injuries and a family reunion
On Monday, the Giants claimed another Bishop, adding Braden Bishop, the older brother of their 2019 first-round pick, Hunter Bishop. The elder Bishop was a 2015 third-round pick with the Seattle Mariners, the organization with which he had spent his entire career.
The 27-year-old was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Kapler said he’s met Bishop in the past but hasn’t talked to him since he’s been claimed. He described him as a “very athletic outfielder, good baserunner, athletic in general.”
There were a couple other names on the mend, in Aaron Sanchez, who was placed on the 10-day IL with right biceps tightness on May 8, and Jaylin Davis, who was placed on the 60-day IL back in August with left patellar tendinitis.
Sanchez saw Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Monday, which provided news Kapler described as “promising.” The Giants will have him return to playing catch in three-to-six days from now and proceed from there.
Davis, meanwhile, told Kapler his knee is feeling good after a five-inning slate in Arizona on Monday, in which he had three at-bats.
The last bit of news, though, is that outfielder Tommy La Stella, who suffered a left hamstring strain at the start of the month, was placed on the 60-day IL, pushing a potential return until the start of July. They claimed former Mets reliever Trevor Hildenberger off waivers.
The earliest La Stella can return is July 2. This pushes him back to midseason. https://t.co/tr9zg0CEVK
— Mark W. Sanchez (@MarkWSanchez) May 18, 2021
