SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval is just two games into his reclamation project in the Giants’ farm system, having played designated hitter with San Jose on Saturday and Sunday. He’s set to move to the field and get some reps at third base in A ball on Monday night though, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he’s pleased with the reports he’s received in Sandoval’s brief time back with the organization.
The plan is for Sandoval, who has one hit in seven at bats over the last two days, to play five innings at third Monday night before jumping up to play for AAA Sacramento on Tuesday. Bochy said Sandoval will consistently play third for the River Cats as he seeks the 40 to 50 at bats the team has intended for him to get in the minors before being evaluated on his major league readiness.
Ahead of the Giants’ series opener against Pittsburgh on Monday night, Bochy was cautious in giving a definitive timeline on Sandoval and his track to the big club, but said it will rest largely on the 30-year-old himself and his play on the field.
“I think he’ll determine that,” Bochy said of Sandoval’s preparedness. “Like I said, there’s no guarantee. It’s going to be important for him to go down and play well, and show that he’s the player we think he is and who he is… It’ll take him two or three weeks if all goes well.”
What constitutes “going well” will be up to Bochy and Bobby Evans to decide, but expect Sandoval to get every opportunity to work out the problems he dealt with in Boston for the better part of the last three seasons. His 2017 numbers in the bigs were no different than the subpar statistics he posted in 2015 and 2016, though the latter season was halted by injury. Sandoval hit just .212 in 32 games with the Red Sox this year.
“He’s been humbled, from reading between the lines, he’s learned a lesson,” Bochy said. “Very hungry to come back and be the player that he was before he left here for Boston. This happens to players sometimes, so our hope is that’s the case and he comes back a different guy.”
Sandoval’s presence in Sacramento gives the Giants’ brass even more reason to pay attention to the lower levels in a season where the minors have taken on extra importance. He’s far from a top prospect in the literal sense, but the Giants will have just as keen an eye on Sandoval as they do on their top youngsters over the next few weeks.