The San Francisco Giants are 23 games under .500 and resigned to spending October at home this season, and have already demonstrated a willingness to take a look at a number of their top prospects.
Christian Arroyo, Austin Slater and Ryder Jones all earned pre-All-Star break call-ups, and though all three have ended up dealing with serious injuries, the Giants began to get a handle on how three of the players they believe can contribute to the organization’s future will handle Major League pitching.
With Slater on the disabled list and expected to be sidelined until at least September, the Giants don’t have a clear everyday left fielder on their 25-man roster. Because the franchise’s top prospect, Chris Shaw, is earning more playing time in left field with AAA Sacramento, it’s natural to wonder if and when the Giants are going to give Shaw the same look Arroyo, Slater and Jones were afforded.
On Saturday, the Giants added an outfielder to their roster, but it wasn’t Shaw who received a promotion. Instead, San Francisco called up 25-year-old utility man Orlando Calixte, who earned a start in left field.
On Sunday, Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy was asked about the decision to call up Calixte ahead of Jones, Shaw and outfielder Jarrett Parker, who is currently on a rehab assignment with AAA Sacramento, and Bochy said bringing Calixte back to the Major League level was an easy choice.
“No, to be honest, Orlando was the one that made the most sense for us,” Bochy said. “Shaw is getting a lot of work in left field and we want him to get his everyday at-bats there. Jones had missed some time and of course, got hit by a pitch again.”
Parker began the season as the Giants’ left fielder, but broke his clavicle crashing into an outfield wall in an April contest against the Colorado Rockies. Though Parker started a rehab assignment in mid-June, he ended the assignment prematurely after experiencing neck stiffness.
Parker resumed the rehab assignment on July 13, and swung a hot bat of late, recording 11 hits in his last seven games. Parker’s six-game hit streak was snapped on Saturday, and Bochy said even though he’s been impressive at the plate, the Giants want Parker to continue to work at AAA before they’re comfortable calling him up again.
“Parker, we want him, he’s swinging the bat better, but we want to take full advantage of his rehab time,” Bochy said. “He’s missed so much time so whoever was coming up here was going to get a spot start.”
Another reason the Giants haven’t called up Shaw just yet? The play of Gorkys Hernandez, who has been the team’s primary starter in left field since Slater’s injury. Hernandez has hit .316 over his last 27 games and was a catalyst at the top of the order in San Francisco’s 5-4 win over the Padres on Saturday.
Aside from the production Hernandez has provided at the plate, he’s easily the best defensive outfielder on a Giants’ team that has received below average defensive play in center field and right field for much of the year.
“You look at how Hernandez is playing, he’s really playing well and forced the issue as far as playing time,” Bochy said. “It’s not just what he’s doing at the plate but as far as everyday defense that he gives us, the speed, so we’re going to keep him going.”
So while it’s possible the Giants will give Shaw the promotion so many fans are waiting eagerly to see within the next month, for now, Bochy said the franchise wants its 2015 first round draft choice to continue playing on an every day basis.
Cueto progressing
Prior to Sunday’s contest, Giants’ right-hander Johnny Cueto played a light game of catch as he hopes to return in the near future from a stint on the disabled list.
The Giants placed Cueto on the DL on Saturday July 15 after Cueto exited his July 14 start with blister issues that have troubled him for much of the season. Cueto is eligible to come off of the DL July 25, and it’s possible Cueto will be back in the rotation when the Giants face the Dodgers in Los Angeles next weekend.
“With Johnny, he wants to get back out there as soon as possible,” Bochy said. “We just have to give him a break and I don’t see it being a long rehab or anything, he won’t miss that much time.”
