Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants’ roster decisions reflected who had options, but also who was on their schedule.
Gabe Kapler’s crew loaded up on lefty pitchers for a lefty-heavy Rockies lineup and starting Friday will see a pair of lefty starters in Los Angeles. Which helped them decide to demote a lefty pitcher and lefty hitter.
With the roster needing to come down from 30 to 28 before Thursday’s series finale in Colorado, the Giants settled on recently called-up Andrew Suarez and Steven Duggar, sparing Mauricio Dubon and Pablo Sandoval. Suarez and Duggar will be on an expanded taxi squad.
Suarez was called up for the Coors Field series but did not enter a game, warming up several times Wednesday “but Webb just kept pitching so well,” Kapler said on a Zoom call. They expect to see Suarez later this season.
They will see Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw on Friday and Saturday at Dodger Stadium, which lessens their need for another lefty bat.
“Dug has done really good work in the outfield on defense. We’ve seen some progress with his at-bats, they’ve gotten better,” Kapler said of Duggar, who has reverted to an old stance and struggled, though hit a big double Tuesday. “I know he felt especially confident at the plate. It’s a difficult discussion just because he’s been feeling really good.”
Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Crawford are out of the lineup against Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland, with Dubon in center and Donovan Solano at shortstop. The Giants wanted to stack righty hitters and had been seeking an off-day for Yastrzemski.
Here’s the full lineup behind Tyler Anderson:
1. Austin Slater, LF
2. Wilmer Flores, 2B
3. Donovan Solano, SS
4. Evan Longoria, 3B
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. Darin Ruf, DH
7. Pablo Sandoval, 1B
8. Chadwick Tromp, C
9. Mauricio Dubon, CF
Kapler reported first-round pick Patrick Bailey hit his first home run of the alternate camp Tuesday, to right-center field.
“It was a long one,” said Kapler, who believed the switch-hitter was batting lefty. “People were pretty excited about that.”
Trevor Cahill (right index fingernail injury) will throw three innings in a simulated game Friday.