May 14, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; San Francisco Giants second baseman Nick Noonan (21) turns a double play as Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus (28) slides into second base at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

With only two hits in his last twenty at-bat’s and more or less rotting away on the bench, the San Francisco Giants opted to send Nick Noonan back to Triple-A Fresno this afternoon, activating utility man Tony Abreu in the process.

Noonan, who was brought up in early April came out of the gates with his guns blazing, hitting .538 through his first thirteen at-bat’s but he then quickly fell off, hitting just .111 for the month of May. He’ll be given regular at bat’s in Fresno, something he could certainly use instead of the sporadic, twice a week pinch hitting appearance he was getting in San Francisco.

Taking his place on the roster will be Tony Abreu who has been out since mid-February with a severely strained quadriceps muscle. Abreu can play nearly every position on the infield, much like a Joaquin Arias, but is sub-par with the bat and should do nothing more than replace the role of Noonan and his sporadic spot starts/pinch hitting appearances.

The utility man has a sub par .252/.280/.355 batting line in the majors and at 27 years of age, shouldn’t be more than a borderline MLB roster player, if he indeed finds a spot out of camp. With Ryan Theriot currently attracting interest from teams like the Indians and Rangers, the Giants were simply adding a bit of depth in the case they need it – nothing more, nothing less.