Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The rotation Gabe Kapler announced for this weekend’s Oracle Park series against the Padres contained two bits of good news for the club: After Anthony DeSclafani’s Friday outing, Kevin Gausman, on the COVID IL after the Giants said he had been experiencing some side effects from his second shot, is scheduled to pitch Saturday, and he will be followed by Johnny Cueto.
Cueto has not pitched since a lat strain forced him out of an April 14 start and will make his comeback after missing about three and a half weeks.
The Giants have not set their rotation for the strange two-game home series against Texas that opens Monday, but if they stay on turn, Aaron Sanchez and Alex Wood would make the starts. It is possible Logan Webb, who is pitching today in Colorado, could be a bullpen option for those games.
When Wood was set to debut in the rotation, Webb was briefly removed and moved to the bullpen, but shuffled back to the rotation immediately when Cueto went down. In three starts since, the 24-year-old Webb has mostly pitched well (3.71 ERA in 17 innings), including an encouraging outing in San Diego on Friday.
Webb is expected to be shifted, but if not, Sanchez could be an interesting bullpen piece. Both have excellent two-seamers that induce a lot of ground balls, and both have a top-notch secondary pitch (Sanchez’s curveball, Webb’s changeup). The Giants have had righty issues in their bullpen, highlighted by Camilo Doval allowing a walkoff home run at Coors Field on Tuesday night.
Alex Dickerson was out of the lineup again with a right shoulder that is “still sore,” Kapler said Wednesday, after he banged it up making a diving catch in San Diego. The Giants wanted to check on him first but were optimistic he could be available off the bench.
Lefty-swinging Jason Vosler, a career infielder who saw outfield time in spring training and in Sacramento, was set to start in left against Colorado righty Jon Gray. The full lineup:
1. Mike Tauchman, RF
2. Buster Posey, C
3. Brandon Belt, 1B
4. Evan Longoria, 3B
5. Brandon Crawford, SS
6. Wilmer Flores, 2B
7. Jason Vosler, LF
8. Steven Duggar, CF
9. Logan Webb, P
Kapler said he expects Mike Yastrzemski (oblique) to return this weekend, though he didn’t know the day.
Kapler said Reyes Moronta (forearm tightness) is going to be evaluated Thursday.
Giants de facto closer Jake McGee, whose fastball was not as fast Tuesday in a blown save, likely will be used less frequently.
Kapler said the 34-year-old has gone through these valleys in the past.
“We trust that with the right work and perhaps a little bit more rest between outings going forward that we might get that fastball life back to where it needs to be,” Kapler said of McGee, who started so brilliantly but has allowed 10 runs in 5 2/3 innings. “And then we can ramp up his usage again.”
Kapler said Tyler Rogers could see some time in the ninth.
The Giants sent Conner Menez, Tuesday’s 27th man, back to the taxi squad.