SF Giants recall pitching prospect for spot start against the Rockies

The SF Giants welcomed back 6-foot-11 pitcher Sean Hjelle to serve as the bulk innings reliever against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night. To make room on the roster, Jarlín García was placed on the paternity list, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants recall pitching prospect for spot start against the Rockies

García was in the midst of a strong season, and hopefully, he can return before the end of the year. The left-handed hurler has registered a 2.98 ERA, 4.11 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, and a 3.18 SO/W ratio across 63.1 frames for the Giants in 2022.

The Giants bullpen has posted a 4.00 ERA this year, which ranks near the middle of the pack. This is a steep drop off from last year when Giants relievers led baseball with a 2.99 ERA. Despite the fact that the bullpen has struggled this year, García has been one of the few bright spots.

San Francisco will need to rebuild the bullpen in the offseason but they can pencil in the veteran southpaw onto next year's roster as he is under team control and one of the few relievers who has earned a spot.

The Giants went with a bullpen game on Wednesday night and they tabbed Sean Hjelle as the bulk innings reliever. Prior to Wednesday's game, the tall righty had posted an 8.44 ERA in 16 innings on 27 hits, 18 strikeouts, and five walks.

Hjelle got roughed up in a recent outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he allowed six earned runs on eight hits in just one inning of work. Appearances like that really muddy up the numbers, especially in a small sample.

That said, he has rebounded nicely as he allowed two earned runs in a recent outing against the Rockies and then followed that up with four scoreless innings against the Rockies on Wednesday night.

The hope is that he can finish the season on a high note, but it has been a tough year for Hjelle. The former second-round pick has registered a 4.92 ERA in 22 starts with the Sacramento River Cats but this comes with a solid 56.7 percent ground ball rate.

Hjelle's rookie season has not gone as planned, but these struggles can become a learning experience.