The SF Giants did not activate outfielder Mitch Haniger nor outfielder Mike Yastrzemski on Monday. However, manager Gabe Kapler reiterated to reporters during his pregame media availability that he is optimistic that he will pencil both veterans into the lineup soon. Haniger is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento while Yastrzemski has been working out with the team and faced reliever John Brebbia in a sim game yesterday.
"No Haniger for today," Kapler said. "Under consideration for tomorrow and under consideration for the next several days. Same with Yaz. Also under consideration for the next few days. Both of them are looking good, feeling good."
Haniger was expected to be the Giants' most potent right-handed bat heading into the season and is just two years removed from a 40-home run campaign. Yastrzemski, on the other hand, has consistently been one of San Francisco's best outfielders over the past few years and has posted a .233/.314/.439 line with 11 home runs in 77 games this season
Brebbia has thrown in a pair of simulated games over the weekend, throwing in front of a pumped-in crowd noise (per his request) at Oracle Park. He is now scheduled to throw a one-inning rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Brebbia told Giants Baseball Insider that he felt good coming out of his simulated game and feels good about where he's at.
Brebbia has been out since June with a back injury. On the season, Brebbia has a 3.14 ERA (2.72 FIP) with 36 strikeouts and ten walks in 28.2 innings pitched (29 appearances). Brebbia has also made eight starts as an opener, allowing just one run in nine innings pitched during those outings.
"The idea is to collect a lot of reps at game intensity and recover from it, bounce back from it," Brebbia said. "And from that perspective, it went well. I ramped up as much as I could, and I feel today like I would normally, which is really nice. And like pitch execution, I would say it was about average with how I normally throw."
Outfielder Michael Conforto has begun light baseball activity but remains far away from making a return. He is scheduled to start hitting off a tee on Tuesday. Conforto was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain last week. Conforto has hit .251/.343/.405 with 12 doubles and 15 home runs with the Giants this season.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford similarly remains some time away from a return. He is participating in light baseball activity and will begin hitting for the first time since he went on the injured list Tuesday. Crawford has struggled with injuries this season and has hit .194/.264/.318 with 10 doubles and six home runs in 77 games.
Right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling was scheduled to throw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Monday. There was no additional update on the veteran righty. Stripling landed on the injured list with a back injury for the second time this year on August 19th.
Outfielder A.J. Pollock, who has been a bit lost in the shuffle since he was acquired at the trade deadline, has been throwing from up to 120 feet and will begin taking batting practice on Tuesday. Pollock has been out since early August and told reporters he thinks he's close to beginning a minor-league rehab assignment.
"Obviously, he didn't have his best moments so far with us," Kapler said about Pollock. "But we have always believed in A.J. over the years. He's a guy that's going to work as hard as anybody to get back and contribute at some point this season. We're going to try and give him an opportunity. It just depends on what the roster looks like in a week or ten days."
Despite his compliments of Pollock, the fact that Kapler mentioned the roster situation does not bode well for his chances of rejoining the team. Given the emergence of young outfielders Luis Matos (Giants Top 4 Prospect), Wade Meckler (Giants Top 22 Prospect), and Heliot Ramos (Giants Top 30 Prospect) and Haniger and Yastrzemski's impending return, there may not be a spot for Pollock when he's healthy. Granted, given his struggles this season, it's not out of the question that the Giants could attempt to release him and re-sign him on a minor league contract for 2024.
As the SF Giants search for a way to end their slide down the National League standings, they may soon turn to several veterans returning from injury to right the ship. Outfielders Mitch Haniger and Mike Yastrzemski should rejoin the lineup at some point this week while relief pitcher John Brebbia seems on track to return to the roster shortly after.
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