The San Francisco Giants open a road trip on Monday night with a visit to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they’ll do so with a couple of reinforcements arriving just in time. Ahead of the first game in the four-game rivalry series, the Giants announced that center fielder Harrison Bader had been activated from the 10-day injured list, while right-handed reliever Tristan Beck was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. To clear roster space, right-hander Dylan Smith and catcher Logan Porter were optioned back to Sacramento.
Beck is making his first major league appearance of the season after spending most of the year in Triple-A, where he posted a 5.40 ERA with a much stronger 3.15 FIP. He pitched in 31 big-league games last season, and his call-up is largely about bullpen fatigue. Over the weekend, San Francisco’s relievers were heavily taxed — five pitchers combined for 119 pitches in Saturday’s lopsided loss, while six arms were needed to cover 98 pitches in Sunday’s 12-inning game. Beck gives the Giants a much-needed fresh arm against a dangerous Dodgers lineup.
Bader returns after a six-game rehab stint in Sacramento, where he went 4-for-18 with two home runs, three walks, five strikeouts, and a stolen base. The Giants are hoping the combination of improved health and extra at-bats helps jump-start his bat. Before landing on the injured list, Bader struggled mightily at the plate, hitting just 6-for-52 with one homer, one double, two walks, and 17 strikeouts, despite continuing to provide strong defense in center field.
Smith and Porter both head back to Triple-A after extremely brief stays with the big-league club. Smith appeared in just one game, recording two outs while issuing a walk, and Porter’s lone contribution came as a pinch runner. With those moves, the Giants are back to carrying two catchers — Jesús Rodríguez and Eric Haase — though that could change once Daniel Susac completes his rehab assignment.