Well, that didn’t last long. As first reported ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnik, embattled third baseman Casey McGehee is back with the Giants less than two weeks after accepting an assignment to Triple-A Sacramento:
Casey McGehee has joined #SFGiants from TrIple A and Jean Machi is headed to the DL.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) June 5, 2015
But, wait…there’s more:
Bochy said Duffy will still be out there at 3B but McGehee would start once in Phillies series. Sounds like the door is cracked for Casey.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) June 5, 2015
Thanks, Andy.
There you have it, folks—the Giants are back to pretty much the same place they were last month when it comes to third base duties, except Matt Duffy is now the guy being chased. A little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right?
And rest assured, this is a healthy one, per Hank Schulman:
Grateful #SFGiants player Matt Duffy in Casey McGehee’s corner. via @hankschulman http://t.co/gOqU479zsf pic.twitter.com/2Olg20aTQM
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) June 5, 2015
Duffy had a window, albeit a small one, in which to fully claim the starting job. Unfortunately, his performance at the plate since taking over hasn’t been much better than his counterpart, if at all, according to Golden Gate Sports’ Sean Bialaszek:
Interesting stat. Since taking over for McGehee as "everyday 3B", Matt Duffy is hitting .200, exactly the same as McGehee
— sean ? (@seanyouidiot) June 5, 2015
Meanwhile, McGehee has been mashing for the Rivercats, going 13-for-27 (.481 BA) over the past week with a pair of homers.
It’s fair to say McGehee has earned his chance at redemption, but it has come a bit sooner than expected, particularly with Erik Cordier and Travis Ishikawa also representing worthy call-ups. Cordier, in particular, would logically slot into Jean Machi’s vacant bullpen slot, but the emergence of Hunter Strickland is probably what allowed the Giants to feel comfortable with going back to 12 pitchers.
Machi, by the way, is out with a strained groin.
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Back to the big news, though: Will either McGehee or Duffy claim the everyday third base role again, or will this remain a platoon of sorts for the foreseeable future?
I suppose that all depends on if McGehee keeps the good times rollin.’ Even so, I see this position battle going back and forth all the way up until the All-Star break, at which point the Giants will more than likely take a look on the market.
You hear that, Texas Rangers?