Update, 3:59 p.m. ET: Joey Bart got scratched from the starting lineup due to back tightness. Robert Pérez is starting in his place.
BRONX, NY — The Giants plan on getting all three of their rostered catchers time behind the plate, and Saturday is Joey Bart’s turn.
Roberto Pérez, the two-time Gold Glover, started Opening Day. For San Francisco’s second game of the season, Bart is catching Alex Cobb and hitting ninth.
“I can’t stress this enough,” manager Gabe Kapler said pregame. “We want to see Joey Bart kick some ass tonight and going forward.”
Bart’s status within the organization has been a question this spring. The Giants began spring training by announcing he wouldn’t be guaranteed a roster spot, instead pitting him against Pérez, Rule 5 acquisition Blake Sabol and Austin Wynns in a spring competition. The first three ended up making the team.
Five to six days before the season opener, per a source familiar with the decision, the Giants decided to go with Pérez on Opening Day. Bart replaced Pérez in the eighth inning but didn’t record a plate appearance.
Kapler said he’s been impressed with Bart’s confidence and professionalism throughout the upheaval, traits consistent with Bart’s make-up.
After the Opening Day loss to the Yankees, Bart told KNBR that “I’ll be ready when they call for me.” Hours later, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said on KNBR that the Giants want to be confident enough in Bart to hit him higher in the order.
And then Friday, the Giants signed former two-time All-Star Gary Sánchez to a minor league deal, potentially further clouding Bart’s role.
Now, the former second overall pick is anchoring SF’s lineup in Yankee Stadium.
Here are the full starting lineups.
San Francisco Giants
LaMonte Wade Jr. – 1B
Michael Conforto – RF
Thairo Estrada – 2B
Joc Pederson – DH
Mike Yastrzemski – CF
David Villar – 3B
Brandon Crawford – SS
Blake Sabol – LF
Joey Bart – C
New York Yankees
DJ LeMahieu – DH
Aaron Judge – CF
Anthony Rizzo – 1B
Giancarlo Stanton – RF
Josh Donaldson – 3B
Gleyber Torres – 2B
Oswaldo Cabrera – LF
Jose Trevino – C
Anthony Volpe – SS
