One roster lever the SF Giants will need to pull before Opening Day

The SF Giants created a spot on the 40-man roster by transferring Hayden Birdsong to the 60-day injured list. They will likely need to use that lever again with Reiver Sanmartin before Opening Day.

One roster lever the SF Giants will need to pull before Opening Day

Moving a player to the 60-day injured list creates an opening on the 40-man roster. Those 40-man roster spots are hard to come by around Opening Day, as teams balance preserving depth with building a strategic roster.

The Giants are no different in that regard. Luis Matos and Jerar Encarnación are out of minor league options. Both have put together solid numbers this spring, and made a strong case to stick on the roster. Even though there is a bit of a redundancy in their profiles, the Giants are likely going to start the year with both players on the roster.

Sanmartin was claimed off of waivers from the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason. He has pitched to a 5.66 ERA in parts of four seasons. That said, he throws from the left side and excels at keeping the ball on the ground. That latter detail appears to be a trait that the Giants are targeting in pitchers.

The southpaw pitcher made only a couple of appearances before sustaining a hip flexor strain. The estimated recovery time is three months, so Sanmartin will not be back anytime soon. The Giants will need to use the 60-day injured list on Sanmartin to open up a roster spot for a non-roster player. By the way, the clock for the 60-day injured list begins on Opening Day, so the earliest any player can return would be near the end of May.

The Giants are seemingly set in terms of position players. However, Jared Oliva could bring a dynamic to the roster that they badly need. He does not offer much with the bat, but is an elite runner and an excellent base stealer. That was on display this spring, as he swiped 14 bases in 15 chances.

On the pitching side, the Giants have been holding a competition for the final bullpen spots. Michael Fulmer and Caleb Kilian are still in the mix. Ryan Borucki will join Erik Miller and Matt Gage from the left side of the bullpen. Fulmer and Kilian have made strong cases to make the team.