SF Giants recall slick-fielding glove with Nick Ahmed landing on the injured list

The SF Giants are beginning to look a lot like the Sacramento River Cats. On Friday, veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed landed on the injured list with a wrist sprain. Casey Schmitt was recalled in a corresponding roster move, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants recall slick-fielding glove with Nick Ahmed landing on the injured list

The Giants have had to make several roster moves in the past week. Blake Sabol, Jakson Reetz, Heliot Ramos, and now Schmitt are just some of the position players who were with the River Cats not that long ago.

The wrist sprain is a tough break for Ahmed, but the Giants do not consider it serious. He is slated to miss the next 10 days, but should not miss too much time beyond that if at all.

The veteran shortstop continues to bring quality defense at shortstop to the table. In 2024, he has been worth 0 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +4 Outs Above Average (OAA). He is among the best defenders in baseball in terms of OAA in the early going.

While he continues to flash a solid glove, Ahmed does not offer much offensively. He is slashing .236/.274/.291 (67 OPS+) with no home runs, 11 RBI, and nine runs in 119 plate appearances while normally hitting in the ninth spot in the lineup.

The 34-year-old's offensive value will correlate strongly with his BABIP as he does not offer much in terms of power or on-base ability. That said, the tradeoff between offense and defense is one that teams generally make at shortstop. Anything he offers with the bat is a bonus.

On the other side of the transaction, Casey Schmitt makes his first appearance with the club in 2024. He spent considerable time with San Francisco in 2023, but struggled to the tune of a .580 OPS with five home runs in 277 plate appearances. It was clear that the Giants rushed him to the majors too quickly and major league pitching took advantage of his aggressive approach at the plate.

The right-handed bat has posted a .768 OPS with five home runs in 147 plate appearances with Sacramento in 2024. Those are quality numbers, but the Pacific Coast League is an extreme hitter's league. He started Friday's game with the Giants, recording four hitless at-bats in a 4-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.