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Giants roster moves provide rotation clarity at end of spring training

Giants roster moves provide rotation clarity at end of spring training originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants provided some roster clarity on their final day in Arizona as a couple of young pitchers got sent back to Triple-A. 

Left-hander Kyle Harrison was optioned along with right-hander Keaton Winn, leaving Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp in the mix for the fifth spot in the rotation. They also reassigned left-hander Joey Lucchesi to minor league camp, so Erik Miller is the only left-handed reliever left in camp.

Harrison spent all of last season on the big league roster, but his offseason was taken up by rehab for shoulder inflammation that he suffered after returning too soon from an ankle injury last summer. As camp was starting, a virus cost Harrison about 13 pounds, and he was behind all spring. 

Harrison threw three relief innings last weekend after Birdsong and Roupp had both gone five, and afterward, manager Bob Melvin admitted that there probably wasn’t enough time left in camp for Harrison to get fully up to speed. The 23-year-old will start 2025 in the Triple-A rotation as he gets his pitch count up.

Birdsong has a 0.75 ERA this spring and has yet to walk a batter, showing improved command to go along with a repertoire that’s led by a fastball that repeatedly hit 98 mph this spring. In 12 innings, he has 18 strikeouts.

Roupp pitched his way onto the Opening Day roster last spring and is doing it again. He has 14 strikeouts and one walk in 12 Cactus League innings and struck out 13 in five innings of a minor league game. If Roupp does not get the rotation spot, he’s a strong candidate to fill out the bullpen.

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Giants outfielder Encarnacion fractures left hand in spring training

Giants outfielder Encarnacion fractures left hand in spring training originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants didn’t get the news they had hoped for just days before the start of the 2025 MLB season.

San Francisco outfielder Jerar Encarnacion suffered a left hand fracture and will undergo more testing Saturday, the team announced ahead of its spring training matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Encarnacion sustained the injury when he jammed his left ring finger while attempting to make a diving catch during the top of the seventh inning in the Giants’ 5-4 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Scottsdale, Ariz.

He immediately exited the game and was sent for X-rays.

“It’s easier said than done playing right field here in spring training when you’re just coming in a game, too,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said (h/t MLB.com Maria Guardado). “He was just trying to lay out and make a good play. He just caught his fingers underneath.”

No other details immediately were available and there’s no timeline of his return.

The timing isn’t ideal for obvious reasons, with San Francisco’s season opener just five days away. But the 27-year-old also was rolling in spring training, hitting .302 (16-for-53) with two home runs, seven doubles, 14 RBI and four runs scored in 20 games played this spring.

His absence will open the door for another roster spot and the DH spot on Opening Day.

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Chattanooga and Dayton square off in NIT matchup

Dayton Flyers (23-10, 12-7 A-10) at Chattanooga Mocs (25-9, 16-4 SoCon) Chattanooga, Tennessee; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Chattanooga and Dayton meet in the National Invitation Tournament. The Mocs have gone 16-4 against SoCon teams, with a 9-5 record in non-conference play.