Evan Longoria feels good to go. Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Longoria is ready to play.
A return is imminent. The veteran third baseman who underwent surgery on his right index finger at the end of March, wasn’t activated for San Francisco’s Monday night game against the Rockies, but he’ll likely come off the injured list in the coming days. Kapler likened his status to a starting pitcher who wants to go out for another inning; he can do it, it’s just a matter of if that would be best for everyone.
“Getting Longo back is going to be a big boost for us,” Kapler told reporters on Monday.
Longoria, 36, went 5-for-18 in five rehab assignment games with the River Cats. He struck out seven times — too many for the third baseman’s liking — and said his at-bats, overall, were just okay. But the important thing is his hand and finger are just about pain-free, he’s just about done with treatment and he’s past the mental hurdle of feeling hesitant.
Like he does with other veterans such as Brandon Belt, Kapler trusts Longoria to know his body and make decisions.
So when exactly will Longoria suit up?
“I think, hopefully in the next three or four days,” Longoria said. “I’m good. Probably just looking for the ideal situation to get activated, just to put me in a situation to succeed. Whenever we decide that time is right.”
“It’s great,” Kapler said. “He’s such a pro, that he is always looking at the various components about like when the right time to activate him is. Evan knows that when one player gets activated, another gets optioned. He knows that we’re thinking about upcoming matchups and the best way to get the most out of his playing time. Because, look: he’s not necessarily a guy who we’re going to throw out there and he’s going to play the first 10 games off the IL.”
Kapler said collaborating with Longoria to figure out how to “get the most out of him” is the next step. Like they had constant conversations with Buster Posey last year to get him off his feet as he needed, Longoria “deservese that same level of respect,” Kapler said.
Monday’s game against Colorado — and left-handed starter Austin Gomber — was discussed in those conversations, but felt a little soon, Kapler said.
When he returns, Longoria will bring a stable presence defensively at third and a powerful bat to lengthen the lineup — particularly against left-handed pitchers. He posted a 1.088 OPS against southpaws in 2021.
Wilmer Flores and Jason Vosler — who was optioned to Sacramento Sunday — have been solid in Longoria’s stead. Flores, SF’s starting third baseman on Monday, however, has committed three errors in 12 starts at third.
In Tampa Bay, Longoria was a beacon of dependability. He played at least 156 games for five straight years and started every Opening Day from 2009 to 2019. But injuries have plagued the third baseman in the Bay. A fractured hand sidelined him for two months in 2018, an oblique strain delayed his 2020 season and a shoulder strain last year cut off an excellent season at the halfway point of 81 games.
“Obviously my goal is to come back and be healthy for the rest of the season,” Longoria said. “Put myself in a position to contribute as much as I can and as positively as I can. When that opportunity comes, I’ll be ready for it.”
“I definitely trust him,” Kapler said. “When you’re dealing with older players, relatively speaking, you know that by saving bullets on the front end, you might be saving bullets on the back end. So one start that you save him, on a day like today perhaps, in theory, he might have for you in the end of September with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Or whoever it is. It’s important to acknowledge that.”