Earlier this week, Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said, “When that right times comes, it’ll happen.”
For Pablo Sandoval, that right time is now.
The San Francisco Giants purchased the contract of Sandoval on Saturday morning, and he’ll join the 25-man roster as first baseman Brandon Belt is headed to the seven-day concussion disabled list.
Sandoval signed with the Giants on July 22, eight days after being designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox. The 30-year-old infielder played in just 32 games with the Red Sox this season, and just three games last year after suffering a shoulder injury that required shoulder injury and wiped out his season.
After three subpar seasons in Boston, the Red Sox designated Sandoval for assignment, and he chose to sign a Minor League contract with the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants will not pay any of the remaining salary on the initial five-year, $95 million contract signed in Boston, as the Red Sox are on the hook for that. Instead, San Francisco will pay Sandoval the minimum Major League salary for the duration of the season.
Since signing with San Francisco, Sandoval has played for the San Jose Giants, and most recently, the Sacramento River Cats. Though the Giants likely did not plan on adding Sandoval to the roster this quickly, with Belt headed to the disabled list, the Giants are short on corner infielders, and Sandoval will likely fill in at third base while prospect Ryder Jones mans first base in Belt’s absence.
Belt was placed on the disabled list after being hit in the helmet with an Anthony Banda curveball in the fifth inning of the Giants’ 2-1 loss on Friday. After being hit by a pitch, Belt immediately went to the ground, and exited the game while receiving assistance from Giants’ trainer Dave Groeschner and Bochy. ‘
Belt has a history of dealing with concussions, and with the current state of the Giants’ team, San Francisco will likely be extremely cautious with Belt before clearing him to return to action.
In 29 at-bats with AAA Sacramento, Sandoval has recorded just six hits and compiled a .207 batting average. Though San Francisco likely hoped Sandoval would have performed better in the opportunities he received with the River Cats, at this point, the organization is lean on healthy options at first and third base.