Replacing Vogelsong: Michael Kickham gets the call, will start on Tuesday

Deciding between Shane Loux, Chris Heston, and Michael Kickham, the Giants have announced that Kickham (@mikekickham41), who has spent this season in Triple-A Fresno, will be getting the promotion to The Show and will start on Tuesday against the A’s.

February 20, 2013; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Michael Kickham (84) poses for a picture during photo day at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

A corresponding roster move will need to be made since the Giants already have 40 guys on their 40-man roster, and Kickham is not on that list for now. In 54.0 innings this year, Kickham has delivered 54 strikeouts and 22 walks for the Grizzlies while sporting a 4.33 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Bruce Bochy apparently also made it known that they did not want to disrupt the membership of the bullpen.

Some thoughts on Kickham from before the season started from Baseball Prospectus (rated as a “Factor on the Farm”):

"“The 24-year-old has good stuff from the left-side—including a plus fastball—with feel and utility for a deep secondary arsenal.”"

Jonathan Mayo from MLB.com (ranked as SF’s #12 prospect):

"“He has pretty good stuff from the left side with a fastball that touches 93 mph. It has good sink to it, eliciting many groundball outs. He has a curve and a slider and can vary… He’ll need to cut down on his walks, but he’s not far from being ready to help out the big league rotation.”"

Kickham has been good in his last five starts for Fresno, going at least six in four of his five starts, while limiting the walks and still being able to get some K’s, and keeping the ball in the park. He’ll get his chance to showcase all of his abilities against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland on Tuesday.