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Patrick Bailey's days with SF Giants may be numbered after Daniel Susac's huge rehab game

It seems like only a matter of time.
Nick San Miguel
Nick San Miguel

Around the Foghorn

Sep 16, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It has already seemed like Patrick Bailey is slowly but surely getting iced out of the picture for the SF Giants catcher. That icing out may only speed up thanks to Daniel Susac who just had a huge rehab game in Triple-A for the Sacramento River Cats.

The 24-year-old got the start as the team’s designated hitter and went 3-for-4 while blasting two home runs and driving in three runs total. It looks like he has picked up basically right where he left off after getting injured.

Daniel Susac's hot bat hasn't cooled off despite IL stint

Susac went on the IL just a few weeks ago due to an elbow issue. It could not have come at a worse time because he was on an absolute heater at the plate. In 11 games on the season with the Giants Susac hit .478/.500/.652 with five runs batted in.

He looked absolutely dialed in and was basically one of the only bright spots for the team. He’s also been impressive defensively as he’s shown off his strong arm multiple times.

Susac probably won’t be brought back to the big league team immediately since they will want to see if his elbow allows him to throw and perform properly behind the plate.

Still, Bailey has to feel like the squeeze is being put on him. With Susac’s hot start and the team calling up Jesus Rodriguez, who has also looked quite good so far, it seems pretty clear that Bailey’s struggles are not going to be tolerated at the plate forever for the sake of his Gold Glove defense.

Bailey has a minor league option remaining so the Giants could decide to send him to Triple-A so he can try to find some sort of swing in the minors. He’s hitting a paltry .146/.213/.183 with one home run and five runs batted in. Without that one memorable home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers his numbers would be even more ghastly.

Maybe the Giants will decide to carry Bailey, Susac, and Rodriguez and send Eric Haase down whenever Susac is ready to go, but it seems unlikely the Giants will carry three catchers all year.

Fans have been clamoring for Susac to be the starter over Bailey for much of the season and things certainly seem to be trending that way. San Francisco may end up having to demote, trade, or potentially even let Bailey go at some point this season if he keeps on hitting so poorly.

Nick San Miguel

Nick San Miguel

Nick San Miguel has been writing at FanSided since 2017. He began as a contributor writing about the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and became a Site Co-Expert for AtF in 2024. A die-hard Bay Area sports fan born 10 minutes from Levi's Stadium, he has also written about the San Francisco 49ers for Niner Noise as a contributor since December 2023. In October 2025, he joined Blue Man Hoop as a contributor to write about the Golden State Warriors. He graduated with a degree in History from San Diego State University and is now based out of Chicago. He is the same age as Oracle Park.