STREET. LOUIS – A rare Friday break left the Giants with just a two-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals. Jordan Hicks will pitch the first game and Logan Webb will go on Sunday.
Right now, those two are also known as the Whole Giant Rotation.
Right-hander Keaton Winn went on the injured list Saturday with inflammation in his right elbow, a week after his young starter Kyle Harrison sprained his ankle. The only other starting option left on the roster is Spencer Howard, who tends to come out of the bullpen after one first game.
Help is on the way, and while Webb faces the Cardinals, Blake Snell and Robbie Ray will pitch in the same Triple-A game in Sacramento. Snell could return next week, but Ray will continue his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. Alex Cobb, who performed a live BP session for the first time, is in a similar time frame to Ray.
The Giants expect both to return around the All-Star break, probably right at the start of the second half. But for a few weeks, they’ll have to find a way to tie things together at two or maybe even three rotation spots.
“(Harrison) actually played ball yesterday and he’ll do it again today and we’ll see where he is. I originally didn’t think he had a chance to return within the 15-day window, but I wouldn’t rule it out now,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It would be nice to have him back here at some point before the break and then if we can get through the break and get some other guys back, then it will certainly be a different look than us.”
Right-handers Mason Black and Kai-Wei Teng are options to fill innings right away, although they have struggled in previous appearances. Prospects Carson Seymour, Hayden Birdsong and Carson Whisenhunt are also in Triple-A, although none are on the 40-man roster, a potential hurdle given that Ray and Cobb will have to come off the 60-day disabled list soon.
Birdsong, who began the year in Double-A, may now be the most interesting name on the list. His fastball has reached 99 mph and he has struck out 14 in two Triple-A starts, allowing five runs in nine innings.
oblique scare
Mike Yastrzemski was disappointed to last only a few innings at Rickwood Field, but a day after getting an MRI on his oblique, he was relieved to have taken a cautious approach. The left oblique strain was considered mild and Yastrzemski hopes to return when he is eligible in 10 days, although Melvin said he may be a little optimistic.
Yastrzemski felt the tension at Rickwood Field and had a tough time coming out of the historic game. But he knew that pushing him could cost him six weeks or more.
“To actually use my brain in that situation and say I think this is the smartest decision to not try to move forward was good,” Yastrzemski said. “Hopefully we’re on the right path here and we’re good to go.”
Welcome back
Infielder David Villar returned with Luis Matos and moved directly into the starting lineup. Melvin said Wilmer Flores is a little banged up.
Villar played 98 games at the major league level the previous two seasons, but this is his first call-up in 2024. He had an .839 OPS in Sacramento and said the last few weeks are the best he’s felt at the plate.
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