Ryder Jones is in Los Angeles and has a locker in the San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse.
But for now, Jones remains a member of the Sacramento River Cats.
The Giants traveled Jones and River Cats’ catcher Tim Federowicz to Dodger Stadium ahead of Sunday’s series finale against Los Angeles, but about two hours before first pitch, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy indicated neither player would be activated to the team’s 25-man roster.prior to the game.
Both Jones and Federowicz arrived in Southern California in the event that Giants’ first baseman Brandon Belt and catcher NIck Hundley would need to be placed on the disabled list on Sunday.
Belt has missed the past two games with a sore wrist that also bothered him shortly after the All-Star break, while Hundley was scratched from Saturday’s lineup after dealing with a headache in the morning. On Friday evening, Hundley took a foul tip off of his catcher’s mask, but on Sunday, Bochy said that Hundley had passed concussion protocol.
“No, right now we don’t,” Bochy said, when asked if the Giants had made any roster moves. “Belt is in the lineup right now, he’s going to swing in BP and if we have to make a roster move there, that would be a game-time decision. With Hundley, the same thing, he’s got to go through BP, take some swings, do a little running. He’s already gone through a test and he passed that. He’s done some cardio and we’ll see how he’s feeling pregame. But if I had to guess right now, he’s good to go.”
Even though the Giants don’t have a place for him just yet, Jones has been swinging the bat well after being optioned to AAA Sacramento two weeks ago. At the beginning of the month, Jones was hit by a pitch on his hand in Pittsburgh, and he was hit on his other hand with another pitch early in his return to the River Cats’ lineup. Since recovering, Jones has been on a tear, hitting .526 over his last five games and smashing two home runs on Saturday.
“He’s (Jones) been swinging well,” Bochy said. “That’s what they said. The timing is there and he’s swinging well. Driving the ball, hit a couple of home runs yesterday. He’s been a little different guy since he’s come back. Gotten healthy from getting hit in the hand a couple of times.”
Even if Belt is completely healthy, Jones has still made a strong case that he deserves another shot at Major League pitching. The problem for the Giants, at least heading into Sunday evening’s contest, is that San Francisco doesn’t have a spot for him.
“I don’t know for sure, I mean, I don’t know what move we would make,” Bochy said, when asked if he would consider activating Belt when San Francisco returned to the Bay Area. “It all depends on what happens with Belt in BP today.”
Nevertheless, the Giants’ skipper said that Jones will see more at-bats at the Major League level at some point this season, regardless of whether the team needs him immediately.
“Yeah, at some point he’s going to be getting some at-bats up here,” Bochy said.