San Francisco Giants: Five potential September call-ups

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DETROIT, MI – JULY 31: Mike Gerber #13 of the Detroit Tigers hits a RBI double in the eighth inning in front of Tucker Barnhart #16 of the Cincinnati Reds at Comerica Park on July 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 2-1. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Mike Gerber

It’s easy to forget, but Mike Gerber was up with the San Francisco Giants earlier this season.

It was a brief four-game stint in May when the Giants were desperately looking for an offensive spark that saw him go 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts before he was returned to the minors.

In a way, Gerber was the beginning of the Zaidi era in San Francisco. He was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers on Dec. 10 in the first official move of his front office tenure.

The 27-year-old has been on the 40-man roster all season, which makes him a prime candidate to be added when rosters expand in what could very well be a make or break audition.

While his brief trip to the majors didn’t go as hoped, Gerber is having an excellent season at Triple-A Sacramento.

In 500 plate appearances, he’s hitting .310/.372/.574 with 39 doubles, 26 home runs and 83 RBI. He’s capable of playing all three outfield spots and has seen time in the leadoff spot, so he’s a viable candidate to give Kevin Pillar a day off.

He’s still capable of carving out a role as a fourth outfielder, and a strong September will be the key to working his way into the team’s 2020 plans.