Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
SCOTTSDALE — Gabe Kapler prefaced the news with a note of caution: Please do not look too deeply into this. There are plans at work here; the first five lineups are mapped out, and the Giants will bring everyone along slowly, especially veterans.
It means nothing other than the first glimpse at hitters and defenders in live game scenarios.
And yet … there’s a rough lineup! Time to overanalyze!
Kapler had a second word of caution while speaking over Zoom Saturday: He was going off the top of his head and did not have the lineup in front of him. But from his memory, these are the Giants who will host the Angels on Sunday:
1. Donovan Solano, 2B
2. Buster Posey, C
3. Alex Dickerson, LF
4. Wilmer Flores, 1B
5. LaMonte Wade Jr., CF
6. Austin Slater, DH
7. Jason Vosler, 3B
8. Joe McCarthy, RF
9. Mauricio Dubon, SS
There is little to note here apart from a few positional tests. The Giants hope Wade can play a solid center field to give the club a lefty-hitting complement to Dubon, though they have said Wade profiles better as a corner outfielder. Perhaps he can prove them otherwise.
Dubon, meanwhile, will see a lot of time at center but also will be needed at shortstop. Behind Brandon Crawford, the Giants have very little depth. Dubon, who came up through the minors as a shortstop and second baseman, wants to show he can be a capable major league shortstop.
Solano and Flores both were shaky in the field last season, and with no DH (at this point) in the NL, the Giants want to give them both plenty of defensive reps.
Conner Menez will start the seven-inning contest for the Giants.
Kapler was asked if he planned to kneel for the national anthem, as he did last season:
“I’ve given it some thought and I will always use my platform to amplify the voices of people in marginalized communities who need me to do so,” Kapler said. “That said, we’re in a different climate than we were last summer. All of those same issues are still present and important, but I’m always going to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis, and I’ll continue to give it some thought.”
Righty Jordan Humphreys, who was picked up from Cleveland on Friday, was at Giants camp Saturday.
“We’ve always been a fan of the arm, and so for that reason he’s with us, but we still have some investigating to do — pretty early in the process,” said Kapler, who wasn’t ready to say whether the minor league starter, who had 2017 Tommy John surgery, would be stretched out as a starter.
Scottsdale Stadium will host 750-1,000 fans on Sunday for the first game the Giants will play in front of fans since March 11 of last year.
Seats are roped off to ensure there aren’t clusters, and masks — which are far less prevalent in Maricopa County than in the Bay Area — will be mandatory.
The San Francisco Giants are playing baseball in front of fans tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/vmNhM92r03
— KNBR (@KNBR) February 27, 2021