With a few players ready to return from injury, theSan Francisco Giantsare on the cusp of a major roster squeeze. After an earlier roster tightening costTravis Ishikawaa chance at a major league job, this one will cost more players jobs.
On Sunday,Jake Peavywill make his final rehab start with the Sacramento River Cats. After that, the clock on his rehabilitation assignment will run out, and the Giants will have to make some moves.
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When Peavy is activated, it will have to come at the expense of another pitcher. The Giants are already carrying 13 pitchers instead of the traditional 12, and they can’t afford to shorten up an already short bench even more. So as much as Giants’ fans want the team to wash their hands ofCasey McGehee, or see whatJoaquin Ariascould bring in from a trade, that’s just not the smart move right now.
Gregor Blancois one tag on the helmet during a slide, or one outfield collision from those concussion symptoms returning.Nori Aoki‘s ankle injury will cause him to miss at least one game, and leaves the Giants with just three outfielders while he is unavailable. San Francisco needs all the bats they can have right now.
The most obvious move to get Peavy on the roster is sending relieverMichael Broadwayback to Triple-A. Broadway andHunter Stricklandare the only bullpen pitchers with minor league options, and Strickland has been ridiculously good this year. It’s unlikely he’s going anywhere.
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Getting Peavy onto the roster is one task, but getting him into the starting rotation is another entirely.Madison Bumgarneris locked into his spot, but behind him, there are four question marks.Tim Hudson,Ryan Vogelsong, andTim Lincecumall fit into the same general category: a veteran who isn’t getting any younger, and has been wildly inconsistent.
Vogelsong had an outstanding May, but has been roughed up in June. Lincecum got off to a roaring start, but seems to have fallen back into old habits of late. Hudson has been the most inconsistent of the bunch, seemingly unable to put together a string a solid starts.
These three haven’t made the decision any easier with their most recent starts. Vogelsong shut out the Seattle Mariners over 6.2 innings to show that he’s still got some fight left in him. Lincecum ended the team’s nine-game losing streak at AT&T Park with 5.2 innings of two-run ball, also against the Mariners. Hudson allowed a pair of runs, both from solo home runs, in 6.1 innings to lead San Francisco to their ninth win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 11 games. Lincecum will have another “audition” on Sunday when he faces the Dodgers looking for a sweep.
Chris Hestonhas shown flashes of brilliance, most notably, the no-hitter against the New York Mets, but he’s also been very inconsistent over the past two months. He’s the only Giants’ starter with minor league options, but it’ll be very hard to send him back down with how much he’s given the team so far.
In other words, there’s no clearcut loser in this race. ManagerBruce Bochywill have a very tough decision to make when the time comes. But that’s why they pay him the big bucks.
And as if this decision isn’t difficult enough to make once, the Giants will have to do it again, and soon.Matt Cainpitched in another rehab start on Saturday for Sacramento, and was very good. In 6.2 innings, he allowed five hits and two runs, while striking out six with no walks. He threw 89 pitches, 59 for strikes, and appears to be very close to being able to rejoin the big league club.
When Cain is ready, that will cause another one of these head scratchers that the Giants will have to deal with. They would obviously want Cain to be in the rotation, but they’d have to make room.
EvenJean Machiis close to returning. In four innings for Sacramento for rehab, Machi hasn’t allowed a run, with just two hits, a walk, and five strikeouts. Fitting Machi into a bullpen that has performed quite well this year will be hard to do. It’s entirely possible that the team designates Machi and just works with what they have now. Time will tell for his case as well.
As the Giants prepare to head into the heat of the summer, the heat is on for everyone on the roster. There are more than a handful of guys who are pitching for their jobs right now. Everyone has to be on their toes as they walk the tightrope. Tough decisions are on the way, and don’t be surprised if the move is surprising.
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