2024 SF Giants breakout player demoted yet again to make room for Casey Schmitt

The SF Giants got some good news on Monday as infielder Casey Schmitt came off the IL after dealing with a wrist injury. Tyler Fitzgerald, a 2024 breakout player, was demoted to make room for him which shows his struggles have continued.

Last season, Fitzgerald surprised everyone with a strong offensive campaign that essentially made him the team's starting shortstop for most of 2024. In 96 games, he slashed .280/.334/.497 with 15 home runs and 34 runs batted in.

Tyler Fitzgerald struggling for SF Giants after breakout 2024

While he declined in the second half of 2024 after a surprising power surge in the summer, Fitzgerald certainly did enough to earn an opportunity with the team in 2025. After the team brought in Willy Adames to be their shortstop, it seemed natural that the team would slide Fitzgerald over to second base.

2025 did not get off to a great start for Fitzgerald. After some struggles in spring training, he got off to a cold start at the plate to begin the year. Some hitting tips from Barry Bonds helped him turn things around, but ever since he got injured with a rib issue, he just has not been the same.

In 63 games this seaosn, Fitzgerald is slashing .227/.287/.333 with three home runs and 13 RBI. He got a nice assist on a home run on Sunday night, but other than that bit of good fortune he really has looked uncomfortable at the plate.

Thankfully for the Giants, Casey Schmitt has stepped up in a big way this season. Coming into the year Schmitt seemed like a solid insurance policy at second base in case Fitzgerald regressed, and Schmitt has taken advantage of his opportunities thus far.

While Fitzgerald is going down to the minors again, it may not be the last we hear of him in 2025. Obviously he needs to figure things out with the bat in Triple-A. We know he provides value defensively on the base paths, but he just has to start getting on base more so he can utilize his impressive speed.

For the time being, Schmitt is the team's best option at second base. But perhaps without the spotlight on him at the big league level, Fitzgerald can figure things out on offense in Triple-A and can return to help the Giants later this season.