Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Giants will be a team that hits you in waves. Or at least tries to hit you in waves.
At every position, there is a possible platoon, righties whose history has seen them mash lefties, lefties who are supposed to crush righties. Evan Longoria may be the most immune to the constant wonder of whose day it is to start — at least until Pablo Sandoval returns. Or unless Mike Yastrzemski is an everyday player.
Yastrzemski is off to a solid start to his first camp that he enters under the expectation he makes the team. The 29-year-old, coming off a breakout and debut season, is 6-for-18 with a steal and without an extra-base hit through the first weeks of the Cactus League, and a start that may mean a bit more went well Wednesday.
Facing Clayton Kershaw — not just the legend but a lefty legend who may be starting Opening Day against the Giants — Yastrzemski lined a single to center with his first at-bat. Facing a heavily shifted defense in his second plate appearance, the former Orioles prospect laid down a bunt down the third-base line that just eluded Kershaw.
“It was a good heads-up play, spring training or regular season,” Gabe Kapler said after the 4-0 loss at Camelback Ranch.
Most curious about Yastrzemski is his history of hitting lefties in the minors and his reverse splits last season. Yastrzemski hit better against lefties (.329/.382/.561) than righties (.256/.321/.505) last year. If Kershaw is looming March 26, Yastrzemski made an early bid that he should be in the lineup — and against all southpaws.
Asked if he’s a believer in reverse splits, Kapler said: “What I’m a believer in is Yaz is an all-around player. A guy who I think will hit lefties, and he had a game he demonstrated he is a great all-around baseball player.”
While Yastrzemski ran into an out, getting thrown out at second on a steal attempt, he also was robbed of at least extra bases on a long fly to the left-field wall. In an outfield overflowing with intriguing, yet not established, options against righties and lefties, Yastrzemski could be the rare constant.
Dany Jimenez, the Rule 5 pick from Toronto, impressed in his scoreless inning, throwing 95-mph heat and showing off a curveball that he was landing for strikes. He struck out two and looked overpowering.
“We’d like to see some fastball command because it did have life to it,” Kapler said. “We’d just like to see it be located a little bit more consistently and then it plays with the curveball really well.”
Yolmer Sanchez, who overhauled his swing this offseason under the tutelage of new Giants hitting coach Justin Viele, finally got his first hit, a clean single up the middle. He reached first and raised his hands in triumph, which the dugout did right back at him.
“Somebody joked, I’m not sure who it was, he got introduced to Antoan Richardson at first base today,” Kapler said of Sanchez, now 1-for-17. “Good for Sanche, especially from the left side.”
