SF Giants bring back former top pick, place Patrick Bailey on the concussion list

Former top pick Joey Bart has returned to the SF Giants in place of Patrick Bailey, who was placed on the concussion list. Luis Matos was recalled as well with Wade Meckler being optioned back to Triple-A, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants bring back former top pick, place Patrick Bailey on the concussion list

For Bailey, the concussion was likely sustained when Jeimer Candelario of the Chicago Cubs slid into him in the seventh inning on Tuesday night. With only a few weeks remaining in the season, it might be best to shut down Bailey, especially given the unpredictable nature of the injury.

Bart returns after spending much of the season with the Sacramento River Cats. The 26-year-old backstop suffered a groin strain in the middle of May but did not return after Bailey took over as the starting catcher.

The right-handed bat struggled to the tune of a .581 OPS in 84 plate appearances prior to getting sent back down. His numbers were not much better in Triple-A as he registered a .248/.357/.399 line with six home runs, 27 RBI, and 33 runs in 235 plate appearances.

Despite that, the Giants need a catcher and Bart has proven to be a good defensive option. This might open up time for Blake Sabol to see more time at catcher as well down the stretch. Bart did record two hitless at-bats in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs on Wednesday.

In addition to this, Luis Matos returns and takes over for Wade Meckler. Mecker posted a rough .578 OPS in 64 plate appearances in his first stint in the majors. There were some positives, but the strikeouts (25) were just way too high for a player who needs to make a lot of contact.

This is Matos' third stint with the Giants in 2023. San Francisco needs to keep him up this time as they evaluate the roster for 2024 and beyond. Matos remains one of the organization's top young players but has struggled to adjust to major league pitching, which is not uncommon for a rookie.

The 21-year-old outfielder has generated a .667 OPS in 198 plate appearances for the Giants this season. The power remains light, but there is still room for him to add muscle. He did a nice job of controlling the strike zone as he posted a 13.1 percent strikeout rate against a 7.1 percent walk rate.

Matos tallied two hits in four at-bats against the Cubs on Wednesday. With Michael Conforto still on the shelf and Mitch Haniger struggling badly, there is a good opportunity for playing time with Matos.