Key SF Giants reliever's status for Opening Day is currently unclear

The bullpen is wide open for the SF Giants as spring training begins, but the status of one key reliever is unclear as games have gotten underway.

The Giants signed left-handed pitcher Sam Hentges in the offseason even though he is coming off a number of injuries. It was an underrated move but one that potentially has a lot of upside.

The Giants are being cautious with him and as of right now Hentges has said that he is unclear on whether he will be on the Opening Day roster though he hopes to pitch in some spring training games.

SF Giants taking a cautious approach with reliever Sam Hentges

It’s smart for San Francisco to take a careful approach. He had shoulder surgery back in 2024 which ended his season and kept him out for all of 2025 as well. He had knee issues as well that delayed his rehab.

He seems to be healthy now, but the last thing the Giants want to do is rush him back too soon and force him to miss more time.

When Hentges has been on the mound in the past, he has been a really solid reliever. After a rough rookie campaign, he pitched to a collective 2.93 ERA from 2022 to 2024 across 138 games and 138 innings pitched.

There is no knowing for sure how he will look returning from injury, but if he can return to his prior form he could be a huge addition to a bullpen with more question marks than Jim Carrey’s Riddler costume. 

Whether the bullpen is solid or not will depend a lot on whether Ryan Walker looks more like his 2024 self rather than his 2025 self and whether Erik Miller looks good coming off injury. If both guys pitch the way they have at their peak, that would give them a solid foundation for the ninth and eight innings respectively.

As for Hentges, maybe the Giants can have him start the year on the IL and ease him back into things with some minor league rehab starts. That way he can build up some confidence before returning to the big leagues for the first time in two years.

If the team opts for that approach, it would open the door for another left-handed pitcher like Juan Sanchez, Matt Gage, Nick Margevicius, or even a young arm like Carson Whisenhunt, to snag a spot in the bullpen.

Hentges could be a big part of the bullpen this year, but with his status unclear right now the Giants are wise to exercise patience.