Between a one game stop in Milwaukee on the way back from an east coast road trip to mounting injuries, a COVID outbreak and new faces coming through the clubhouse door like a turnstile, it was a rough week for the Giants. Here's what we learned:
1. Injuries started to take their toll on the roster. Joc Pederson OF is the latest to go down. He's not on the IL but did not play over the weekend. He's still DTD. He's been the Giants best bat in April. One problem with IL stays is the time off messes with timing and mechanics. We should not expect players to pick up where they left off when they go hurt. Alex Cobb RHP came back yesterday but the rust from the layoff was obvious. Having 2 of 5 SP's on the IL forced too many bullpen games which is quite clearly starting to wear down the relief staff.
2. COVID is alive and well. ....and we are not. The virus found it's way into the Giants clubhouse on the east coast swing starting with YtY. Now 4 players are on the the COVID IL which only added to the injury woes. Fingers crossed the spread of the virus is contained. Given that all four players are reportedly vaccinated and boosted and showing minimal or no symptoms it might be time for MLB to adjust policy to treat COVID more like seasonal influenza. If there are still unvaccinated players or staff they are getting exposed anyway.
3. Logan Webb RHP and Carlos Rodon LHP are stoppers. Rodon was his usual electric self allowing 1 run while striking out 9 against the A's. Giving up 11 hits may not seem like an ace performance but limiting the damage to 3 runs and coming out with a QS and a team win is. That was Webb on Saturday against the Nationals.
4. FZ is still churning. COVID IL's don't count against the 40-man roster and FZ wasted no time filling them up between adding players to fill in on the field to acquisitions like Cory Abbott RHP and Kevin Padlo IF. Last season, the Giants had a 4 day window with an open 40-man roster spot. FZ filled it with Luis Gonzalez OF who was recovering from surgery. He immediately moved him to the 60-day IL which also does not count against the roster. This year, Gonzalez is healthy and filled in admirably during the current injury/COVID roster crisis. The downside is they Giants now have 47 players on the 40 man roster if you count the COVID cases and 60-day IL'ers. That means that soon, very soon, several of those players will be dropped to get down to the limit which exposes them to waivers and possibly a ticket out of the organization. Churn on! (If I don't have that all exactly right, apologies. I think you get the basic idea).
5. MLB debuts are heartwarming. ....especially if the player is 32 years old and has played over 1000 minor league games. That would be Jason Krizan UT. If your eyes didn't fog up just a bit when he came to the plate for the first time as a major leaguer with his wife, infant son and other family members wiping away tears in the stands.....well, I don't know what to say. Happily Krizan recorded a major league hit yesterday before being optioned back to AAA.
Who wins the Giants-Dodgers game tonight in the sense of a 162-game season, means exactly that: it's one game of 162.
ReplyDeleteThe game will be played in LA, the Giants "current" Ace is pitching, and the Giants are "more beat up" than the Dodgers (otherwise fairly equal).
Nonetheless, the intelligentsia class thinks 2021 was a fluke, and the Dodgers are favored fairly heavily.
The game is important: it is a statement game, the winner will be jazzed, and loser a bit demoralized.
Still, in perspective, the Giants have 140 games to go, the Dodgers one less. The season won't be determined today.