© Ron Chenoy | 2021 Sep 7
Steven Duggar knows he could’ve played better in the weeks leading up to his Aug. 5 demotion. But that’s in the past. Duggar’s back with the Giants now, and he’s making the most of his opportunity.
His first big league at-bat since being optioned Aug. 5, he drilled a triple off Cy Young Award contender Walker Buehler. After that Sept. 5 win, Duggar said he’d been mentally preparing since the second he got optioned to Sacramento. That mindset’s paying off now, as he added one of his best MLB performances yet — two triples and a double in a 12-3 romping of the Rockies.
Since Duggar returned to the lineup the Giants are 3-0. Duggar has hit 6-for-14 (.428) with three triples, three RBI and three runs scored in that span. His blazing speed on the basepaths gives SF a new dimension. It’s a minute sample size, but if he continues to play like this, the Giants might not have a choice but to have Duggar stick around for the pennant race.
“Steven Duggar has provided such an incredible boost to our club,” manager Gabe Kapler said postgame. “Hard to imagine the last few games going the way they did without his contributions.”
A day after his first game back, the Giants arrived in Denver at 1:30 am. Duggar was supposed to come off the bench for the series-opener with the Rockies. Hours before game time, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski felt too sick with a stomach bug to play, and was scratched from the lineup.
Duggar replaced Yastrzemski and went 2-for-5 with a run. The performance after a last-minute start is consistent with Duggar’s mindset.
“When I come to the field every day, it’s just a laser focus,” Duggar said after Tuesday’s 12-3 win. “What can I do to help this team win? Whether that’s preparing the right way, dialed in on the game plan, making sure we’re getting our swings off.”
Then came Tuesday’s electric performance. He became the first Giant to rip two singles and a double since Eduardo Nuñez in 2016.
The spark Duggar’s providing hasn’t come out of nowhere. He hit over .300 in May and June, socking three homers in each month. He stole all six of his bags on the year in June and hasn’t been caught once.
But it went downhill from there. In July, Dugger struck out 19 times in 16 games. His on base percentage in the month sunk to .286. It got even worse in August, when Duggar went hitless in four of his last five games before getting sent down to Triple-A.
Duggar said it “sucks” to get demoted, but it’s out of his control. Players experiencing a breakthrough year like he was generally get a longer leash, but Brandon Belt was set to return from injury, sending LaMonte Wade Jr. back to the outfield. San Francisco’s elite depth hurt Duggar’s odds of staying in the Bay.
“I think when we optioned him, he had a couple different ways he could’ve gone,” Kapler said. “And I think that he just went down there and got to work. Never complains. He’s just an incredible teammate and we’re all lucky to have him around. And obviously when he’s swinging the bat well and running the bases like he is, we’re just a better club.”
Duggar, who will start in Wednesday’s series finale against Jon Gray, is with the team at the moment due to injuries to other outfield mainstays. Alex Dickerson hit the injured list with a right hamstring strain over the weekend and Austin Slater — seven-day IL with a concussion — joined him.
Even before their injuries, Slater and Dickerson have had their struggles, too. Slater hit .171 in the month of August. Dickerson, a left-handed hitter like Duggar, has had two sub-.200 months. On the season, including Duggar’s slump that got him demoted, Slater and Dickerson both have batting averages and OPSes below that of Duggar.
With so much depth and versatility, the Giants will have both options and tough decisions to make — especially for the inevitable 26-man playoff roster. Duggar may still have to play his way even into those discussions, but his first three games back are about as convincing as they could’ve been.
“When he’s making offensive contributions, it’s really hard to not have him in the lineup.”