SF Giants welcome back Patrick Bailey, place veteran catcher on waivers

The SF Giants activated Patrick Bailey from the injured list on Thursday. In a corresponding roster move, veteran backstop Andrew Knapp was designated for assignment according to the team's transaction log.

SF Giants welcome back Patrick Bailey, place veteran catcher on waivers

Bailey sustained an oblique strain in the middle of August. The club had hoped that he would miss minimal time and that turned out to be correct as he was activated as soon as he was eligible.

Being an everyday catcher is a tough task and while Bailey's defense continues to shine, his bat has taken a noticeable step back in the second half of the season. Overall, he is slashing .231/.296/.340 (81 wRC+) with seven home runs, 38 RBI, and 37 runs in 369 plate appearances. This includes an 8.9 percent walk, 21.7 percent strikeout rate, and .109 ISO.

However, he has struggled to the tune of a .284 OPS in 105 plate appearances in the second half of the season. Those numbers have to improve at some point but the extent of his prolonged slump is surprising. The Giants hope that the time off will help get Bailey back on track.

While the switch-hitter was on the injured list, the Giants relied on Curt Casali and Andrew Knapp as the catching tandem. Casali served as the starter, whereas Knapp appeared in three games for San Francisco. For a moment, they also had Jakson Reetz in the mix before he was placed on waivers.

The Giants did survey the market for catching help with former Colorado Rockies catcher Elías Díaz emerging as a potential target. The 2023 All-Star posted a .693 OPS with 14 home runs and 72 RBI in 486 plate appearances before he was released by the Rockies. Colorado did try to move him before the trade deadline but there was little interest.

There was more interest in Díaz in free agency, including from the catcher-needy Giants. However, they could not guarantee playing time following Bailey's return, so he decided to join the San Diego Padres on a minor league deal instead.

While the Giants are likely to miss the playoffs again, they can still find ways to make this a productive season. One way would be Bailey finishing the season on a high note in the batter's box.