SF Giants bring back right-handed hurler in a creative way

The SF Giants brought back a key rotation arm and tabbed him to be Tuesday's starter against the Atlanta Braves. To do so, they had to get creative in working the 40-man roster.

SF Giants bring back right-handed hurler in a creative way

Anthony DeSclafani was activated from the 60-day injured list after recovering from right ankle inflammation. José Álvarez was placed on the injured list with back tightness, whereas Sam Delaplane was transferred to the 60-day injured list, per the team's transaction page.

The Delaplane move created space on the 40-man roster for DeSclafani and the Álvarez move opened a roster spot on the active roster.

DeSclafani signed a three-year, $36 million pact in the offseason and that is a deal that has gotten off to a rocky start. The righty yielded nine earned runs on 22 hits, including two homers, with two walks against 13 strikeouts through his first three starts.

He yielded five more earned runs on six hits in three innings against the Braves on Tuesday night. Despite the subpar results, his sinker velocity was closer to his 2021 average after seeing a sharp decline earlier in the year.

The 32-year-old veteran made two rehab starts for the Sacramento River Cats, but did not exceed three innings in either start. It is fair to wonder if he had rebuilt the arm strength to pitch deep enough into the game as it looked like his effectiveness waned quickly against a good Braves lineup.

José Álvarez hits the shelf after going through a rough patch on the mound. The 10-year veteran has registered a 5.28 ERA, 5.87 FIP, 1.69 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, and a 1.67 SO/W ratio in 21 appearances for San Francisco in 2022.

Álvarez was off to a decent start, but he allowed earned runs in four of his last five appearances before being placed on the injured list. Given that he has not pitched since June 11, it is not too surprising to see that his health was in question.

Sam Delaplane was recently added to the 40-man roster as he was embarking on a rehab assignment with the San Jose Giants after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. The righty made four appearances, yielding six earned runs on three hits, six walks, and 11 strikeouts.

However, he experienced a forearm strain that shut him down recently. The Giants have to wait a little while longer before Delaplane will be able to return. This roster maneuvering takes care of one player returning from the 60-day injured list, but the Giants have another roster decision looming.