© Darren Yamashita | 2021 Jun 27
Hitting eighth and starting in center field Thursday for the San Francisco Giants: Mauricio Dubón.
Dubón’s last big league appearance came over two months ago, on June 27 against Oakland. In 66 games for the Giants, he’s hit .234 with a .646 OPS. But with Triple-A Sacramento, those numbers jump up to .333 and .878.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler spoke with farm director Kyle Haines Thursday morning about making the call-up in correspondence with infielder Wilmer Flores hitting the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.
“(Haines) said that he’s been working hard at all three outfield positions,” Kapler said pregame. “When Dubón was here and playing center field for us regularly, he was playing well. He’s been playing mostly shortstop in triple A, but we feel confident he can go out there and hold down the fort for us.”
Flores, Kapler said, has been dealing with hamstring issues all year. He left Wednesday night’s 5-2 loss in the sixth inning when it flared up.
Second base was one of the Giants’ deepest positions up until about a week ago. Since then, Donovan Solano tested positive for COVID-19, Tommy La Stella has been sidelined with left side tightness, and now Flores has hit the IL. That leaves Thairo Estrada as SF’s primary option at second.
Dubón, who’s starting in center field Thursday against Milwaukee, has played mostly shortstop in Sacramento, so he can also help out at second in a pinch. He’s playing outfield, though, to optimize SF’s fielding — Austin Slater is starting in right field and Kris Bryant is back at third base. Defense has been an issue for the Giants recently; they coughed up three errors Wednesday.
Dubón could also be an option to spell shortstop Brandon Crawford at some point in the next upcoming games. Typically, the Giants try to rest Crawford against a left handed starter. They’ll face southpaws Thursday with Eric Lauer taking the mound for Milwaukee, then again the next two games with Los Angeles’ David Price and Julio Urías expected to start.
SF has scored five runs in its last four games in which it’s matched its longest losing streak of 2021. Dubón, hitting behind catcher Curt Casali and ahead of starter Logan Webb, could help SF get back on track and avoid a four-game sweep to Milwaukee.
- Evan Longoria, who’s been on the injured list since Aug. 24 after getting hit by a pitch in the left hand, has resumed hitting and some light fielding activity. He took batting practice in the cage Wednesday, and the next step is ramping up his swings, Kapler said. Like with most players, the Giants will be conservative with his return; Kapler said he’ll wait for Longoria’s assurance that he’s healthy and confident before activating him, though that could be soon.
- Kapler had hoped Tommy La Stella was going to be available off the bench Wednesday, but he was not. He likely won’t be again Thursday. Kapler called oblique injuries “tricky.”
- Hitting coach Justin Viele returned to the ballpark for Thursday’s matinee after being out due to contact tracing. He tested negative two days in a row. Kapler said his presence was missed, and his guidance is something that might fly under the radar.
