The Giants will go for their third straight series victory on Thursday morning, but they’ll be forced to do so without starter Johnny Cueto.
Cueto was scratched about a half hour before taking the mound on Thursday in Detroit with an inner ear infection, and he’ll be replaced by Giants’ reliever Chris Stratton.
Cueto has battled blister issues this season that have impacted his starts, but the ear infection is a new challenge that popped up in between his last start in Pittsburgh and his anticipated Thursday morning start against the Tigers.
Stratton was called up from AAA Sacramento last week when San Francisco optioned Dan Slania back to AA Richmond following Slania’s first career outing in Pittsburgh on Friday.
Stratton will make his first career start for the Giants and his third appearance of the season for San Francisco after spending the majority of the season as a starter with the AAA Sacramento River Cats.
A 2012 first round draft choice of the Giants out of Mississippi State, Stratton made his Major League debut in 2016 as a reliever with San Francisco as he appeared in seven games and recorded a 3.60 earned run average. This season, Stratton has already appeared twice out of the bullpen for the Giants, but Thursday’s start will mark his first appearance since his most recent call-up.
During his time with the River Cats this season, Stratton posted a 3-5 record with a 5.71 ERA in 64 and 2/3 innings.