SF Giants must turn to young pitcher who is thriving in Triple-A to replace Blake Snell

The SF Giants got some tough news when it was revealed that their top free agent pitcher Blake Snell was going on the 15-day IL with a left adductor strain. To fill in during his absence, the Giants should call up Mason Black who has been doing well in Triple-A.

SF Giants must turn to young pitcher who is thriving in Triple-A to replace Blake Snell

The news on Snell is disappointing. He was supposed to be the co-ace along with Logan Webb at the top of the rotation. However, given the fact that he signed so late, as well as his reputation as a slow starter, it was not a huge surprise that he struggled in his first few outings with the team.

However, in his most recent start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he showed some promise. It was his best outing to date, and he was just one out away from turning in 5 quality innings and keeping the team in the game.

For now, we can only hope that this injury is not a major one and he can return in a few weeks.

In the meantime, the Giants need to figure out what to do with his spot in the rotation. They attempted an "opener" strategy on Wednesday with Ryan Walker pitching the first inning and Sean Hjelle coming on as a bulk reliever. It did not go well as Hjelle and the bullpen got knocked around and the Giants lost.

When Snell's turn in the rotation comes around next time, the Giants should call up a guy who looked like he was going to be in the rotation in Spring Training before the Snell signing: Mason Black.

He has done great in Triple-A thus far. Through 4 starts he has a 1.53 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 0.96 in 17 and 2/3 innings pitched. In his career in the minors, he has a 3.34 ERA in 57 career starts. Plus, he has a 3.13 ERA in 18 starts in Triple-A. There just might not be much left for him to prove.

These are really solid numbers, and they show that the 24-year-old is ready for his chance at the big leagues. The Giants as an organization are known to have depth when it comes to starting pitching. That is why Snell's injury is a little easier to stomach.

It is time for the team to draw on that depth right now. The front office may believe that the opener strategy has a higher percentage of working for the next few weeks, but it failed the Giants in the second half last season and did not work on Wednesday. It is time for the team to call up Black and let him prove his mettle as a starter in the big leagues.