SF Giants make wild frenzy of roster moves after LaMonte Wade Jr. injury
The Giants made a number of moves to shake up their roster.
The SF Giants sustained a key loss on Monday as one of their best players, LaMonte Wade Jr., injured his hamstring. The Giants made a wild frenzy of roster moves to address this as he will be spending time on the IL.
SF Giants make wild frenzy of roster moves after LaMonte Wade Jr. injury
There were several moving parts with the team's roster moves, so it is helpful to break them down one by one:
LaMonte Wade to the IL
Losing Wade to injury is a big blow. He is one of the more valuable players on the Giants with his high on base percentage and knack for late game heroics. He will be on the 10-day IL for now, but the early thinking is that he may miss a month of playing time with a grade 2 hamstring strain.
Ryan McKenna and Drew Pomeranz are DFA'd
Both Ryan McKenna and Drew Pomeranz had a short stint as Giants. In Pomeranz's case it was basically a nonexistent second stint. McKenna was picked up on waivers by the Giants from the Orioles and he flashed impressive speed but did not hit well. Pomeranz was signed by the Giants after he was let go by the Dodgers even though he has not pitched in the big leagues since 2021. It appears his return to the MLB will have to come with another team.
These three moves made three roster spots available. So who got called up to the big leagues?
Trenton Brooks, Spencer Howard, and Tyler Fitzgerald get called up
Trenton Brooks is a left-handed hitting first baseman who will be making his MLB debut tonight and was called up after hitting well in Triple-A. Spencer Howard was called up as a bulk reliever who has pitched for the Phillies and Rangers and figures to eat up some innings tonight with it being a bullpen game. Tyler Fitzgerald began the season with the Giants but got sent down. He has looked great in Triple-A, blasting 6 home runs in 25 at-bats in Sacramento which earned him a call-up. He could definitely see some playing time at shortstop.
The Wade injury is unfortunate, but the Giants have Wilmer Flores who is a good back-up plan to have. The injuries will also allow them to see more from some of their younger players like Fitzgerald who may be a key player for the team down the stretch, especially with his versatility.
The Giants will have to have a "next man up" mentality as they lose yet another of their better players to injury.