San Francisco Giants: Outfielder Mike Gerber to join MLB roster

The San Francisco Giants are set to make another move, with outfield Mike Gerber reportedly on his way to joining the MLB roster.

As the San Francisco Giants continue to search for answers offensively, the most productive hitter on the Triple-A Sacramento roster is set to join the big league club.

No, not Mac Williamson.

It’s another outfielder named Mike Gerber, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers during the offseason.

In a corresponding roster move, veteran Gerardo Parra was designated for assignment.

Gerber, 26, is hitting .357/.402/.655 with seven doubles, six home runs and 15 RBI in 92 plate appearances this season.

A 15th-round pick in the 2014 draft, he was ranked as high as the No. 3 prospect in the Detroit system prior to the 2016 season, according to Baseball America.

That came on the heels of a big Single-A debut where he hit .292/.355/.468 with 31 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs and 16 steals.

He steadily climbed the minor league ranks from there and put himself on the cusp of the big leagues in 2017 when he hit .304/.373/.496 with 26 doubles, 14 home runs and 10 steals over three minor league levels, closing out the year with four games at Triple-A.

Last season was a disaster, though.

He suffered a shoulder injury early in the season and wound up hitting just .213/.277/.411 over 287 plate appearances at Triple-A.

He also saw his first taste of MLB action and looked completely overmatched, going just 4-for-42 with 21 strikeouts in 18 games.

Not everyone makes a splash immediately upon arriving in the majors, though.

If you’ll recall, Mike Trout hit a forgettable .220/.281/.390 in 135 plate appearances with the Los Angeles Angels in 2011 before turning in one of the greatest rookie seasons in MLB history the following year.

Is Mike Gerber the next Mike Trout?

Almost certainly not. The point is, he’s not the first player to struggle in his first go-around in the majors, and there’s still reason to believe he can find success.

He’s capable of playing all three outfield positions and he’s swinging a hot bat. That’s reason enough to add him to the 40-man roster and see what he can do.

Get used to these kinds of moves, Giants fans. It’s going to be a season-long experiment of plugging in pieces and seeing if someone sticks.