SAN FRANCISCO–Giants’ management and skipper Bruce Bochy met Wednesday morning to discuss the fifth-place club’s immediate future, and make determinations on how playing time would be divided among position players and pitchers for the remainder of August and into September.
Though Bochy didn’t want to discuss many specifics of the conversations, the Giants’ manager indicated that San Francisco may be close to auditioning a new pitcher in the starting rotation.
With Johnny Cueto sidelined, initially due to blister issues and now due to a mild flexor strain, 13th-year veteran Matt Cain has assumed Cueto’s spot in the Giants’ rotation. Cain has struggled of late, though, allowing five runs or more in five of his nine starts since June began.
Even though Cain has made strides of late, Bochy hinted that the Giants may use his spot in the rotation to audition a different arm in the immediate future.
“I’d like to talk to Matty (Cain) about it, though,” Bochy said. “We met today, we talked about the plans for this month, and even September, we went into that a little bit. But until I get to talk to the players, I’d like to reserve comment.”
After leaving his July 31 rehab start with his flexor strain, Cueto won’t pitch for the next week. Ultimately, the Giants are pleased with his prognosis and relieved the injury is not more serious, but there’s no timetable for his return and no reason to rush him back. Because Cain does not factor into the Giants’ long-term plans, San Francisco likely figures it can use that spot in the rotation to audition an arm or two for next season, and there’s a few names of younger pitchers who should receive consideration.
“Sure, we are going to give some of these younger pitchers I think more time,” Bochy said. “I think you’ll see that and the players, I still think that it’s going to be important to play better ball and finish strong.”
Cain is scheduled to start on Saturday, but it’s possible San Francisco will consider using Albert Suarez in his place. Suarez was rock solid in two of his first three relief appearances after returning from the disabled list on July 22 before taking the loss in San Francisco’s walkoff defeat in Los Angeles on Sunday. Suarez also made 12 starts for the Giants in 22 appearances in 2016, and when he returned from a calf injury, Bochy said that it would have been helpful to have Suarez around earlier this season.
Rookie Chris Stratton may also be a consideration for starts later this year, but Stratton was placed on the disabled list on July 28 and isn’t eligible to be activated until August 7. Stratton is one of just seven pitchers who has started a game for San Francisco this season, and the Giants may want to see what they have in the former first round draft choice down the stretch.
Another starter candidate who has emerged on the Giants’ radar of late is prospect Andrew Suarez (no relation to Albert) who tossed seven innings of shutout ball on Tuesday evening for AAA Sacramento. A second round draft choice of the Giants in 2015, Suarez was promoted from AA Richmond to AAA Sacramento midway through the season, and has compiled a 5-4 record with a 3.64 earned run average since joining the River Cats.
“He’s (Suarez) throwing the ball very well,” Bochy said. “He’s coming off of a good start last night. Really commanding the fastball better, really good slider going and he’s on a good roll down there.”
Regardless of how San Francisco divides its starts over the next two months, it’s unlikely that the Giants will keep their rotation intact. At some point, the Giants know they need to begin experimenting, and because the team has an opportunity to audition fresh arms, that process could begin sooner rather than later.