Giants Recall Veteran Reliever to Bolster Pitching Staff After Crucial Injury

The San Francisco Giants are off to a hot start in 2025, with a 30-21 overall record, placing them in second among the National League West powerhouses. While the Los Angeles Dodgers remain ahead of them by two games, the Giants have managed to surpass the San Diego Padres as of now, holding a one-game lead over the division rival.

One of the keys to this success has been their pitching staff, and their ability to overcome injuries to multiple key players. The depth of the team is outstanding there, with Carson Whisenhunt waiting in the wings in Triple-A, the organization even has talent waiting in the minor leagues that could be ready to go soon.

The bullpen is one of the biggest success stories of the season in totality, and it may be receiving a bit of a shake-up in the coming days, as the injury to Justin Verlander has forced a shift of talent across the board. One of those moves is recalling reliever Tristan Beck to the Major League roster, giving him an opportunity to either position himself as a long-relief option or starting depth if need be. This news came shortly after the Verlander injury, being reported by Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

With Kyle Harrison expected to be the fifth starter for now in the wake of Verlander moving to the injured list, odds are it will be one of those two options.

Where Might Beck Be Utilized in This New-look Rotation?

Beck has been utilized in pretty much every pitching role possible in his career, predominantly beginning as a starter throughout the farm system, and then transitioning over to more of a bullpen role in recent years. In his time at the MLB level in 2024, he would start only one of his seven appearances, and this carried over into 2025, as in Triple-A Sacramento, he has played all 15 games out of the bullpen.

When it comes down to it, the team has an exceptional amount of talent across the board in their pitching room, and they could mix-and-match a bit when it comes to who is used where. It will be intriguing to see how Hayden Birdsong fits into the equation long-term, and where Beck ends up playing in his time at this level.

Beck has the tools to be a quality reliever, especially when it comes to going long and taking the ball for an extended period of time if a starter needs the backup. Hopefully, he ends up getting a decent amount of playing time during this stint, as if he succeeds, he could give San Francisco something to think about when everyone ends up being healthy once again.