We're mid-way through June and we've already seen about a season's worth of injuries run through the Giants' clubhouse. However, as the injuries keep popping up, the Giants keep on persevering.
Just to give you an idea of how bad it's been healthy wise, the only positional guys who have not hit the injured list or have missed games in bulk this season have been LaMonte Wade Jr. and J.D. Davis. The latter, however, has now missed most of the last week with an ankle sprain.
You never like to see players hit the IL, but the reality is, it's part of the game. You have to find a silver lining. That silver lining in the Giants' case this year is that it has prompted the rookies onto the roster, and they have been a driving force in the team's success since mid-May.
Luis Matos is the latest top prospect to make his way onto the big league roster, and while he's only appeared in a handful of games thus far, he looks like he could wind up being the most impacting of the team's rookie trio.
His patience has been perhaps the most impressive part of his game. Constantly spitting on close pitches just off the outside corner during the LA series, something you don't see a 21 year-old do too often when they first arrive. He's walked 5 times in his 17 plate appearances thus far, and when he is swinging the bat, that swing looks smooth, compact and powerful. You can definitely see shades of Ronald Acuna in his game.
Not to take anything away from Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey, of course.
Schmitt was the one that got this whole thing going with his explosive first couple weeks. He's really tailed off of late though, and needs to make that adjustment to his chase rate. Still, he brings a tremendous, versatile glove, and is still driving balls that are being left in the hitting zone.
Bailey still hasn't regressed on either side of the ball since he's arrived.
Now with the injury bug hitting the starting rotation, could the Giants look to roll the dice on that rookie magic helping out that group in the coming weeks?
The Giants will be without Alex Cobb for at least 15 days, as the teams' number two starter hit the shelf this weekend with an oblique issue. Obviously with the way he's thrown this season, that loss, however brief it hopefully ends up being, will be a tough one.
We've seen rookies come up and supplant holes in the lineup, but we've yet to see a rookie make a big league start for this team in 2023. That could change with them now needing to cover a few of Cobb's starts.
Keaton Winn and Tristan Beck both look like quality options to slip into the rotation should the Giants choose to go that route. They've been using an opener in their fifth spot since Ross Stripling went down but asking them to do that for two rotation spots could be a little taxing on the bullpen.
Sean Manaea could also get another look in the rotation, although Gabe Kapler recently said he really likes Manaea in his current role as a bulk innings guy out of the pen.
They also could give Jacob Junis a little run as a starter, a role he mostly flourished in during the 2022 season when asked.
The real anticipation lies with Kyle Harrison though. With the success the Giants have had with their call-ups over these last 6 weeks, why not throw Harrison into the mix? Well, it's not as simple as that.
The Giants have been slowly building Harrison's pitch count and workload up in Sacramento, where he has reached just five innings in a start one time so far. Unlike with positional talent, the need to really nurture a top prospect arm like Harrison's makes his arrival more determined by when he's ready rather than when the Giants have a hole to fill.
My guess is the Giants go with Beck in Cobb's next spot, with the Winn waiting as a possible piggy back should he only last a few innings. I don't think they'll mess with Manaea or Junis' roles right now. Not with how well things have been going for the bullpen lately, and I don't blame them.
Stripling has begun a rehab assignment, but he is probably still a couple weeks away, as the Giants will take it slow with his return. Strip has had a rough go of it so far in San Francisco, but maybe he hasn't been right physically. If he can come back and perform closer to his 2022 form, imagine what kind of shot in the arm that would give this rotation?
We'll see how the Giants play it this week. They have been one of the best teams in baseball the last month-plus. They're as fun to watch right now as they have been in years. Whatever buttons they're pushing appear to be working. They're getting contributions out of essentially all 26 roster spots and to think that things may only get better as they get a little healthier is an intriguing scenario for this club.
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