SF Giants welcome back rookie pitcher after briefly being optioned

Landen Roupp's trip to Sacramento did not last long. In fact, he likely never even hopped on the bus to head north. The SF Giants recalled the rookie pitcher on Wednesday with Blake Snell landing on the injured list according to the team's transaction log.

SF Giants welcome back rookie pitcher after briefly being optioned

Snell was scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the New York Mets, but he was sent to the injured list with an abductor strain. The lefty pitcher told Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area that he has had the same injury in the past and the recovery time has been three or four weeks each time.

The Giants are hopefully that he can return shortly after the 15-day minimum. Snell's 2024 campaign has not gone as expected. He has struggled badly in his three starts with San Francisco, posting an 11.57 ERA with 12 strikeouts against five walks.

The 31-year-old pitcher is known for being a slow starter, but this issue could be exacerbated due to the lack of a normal spring training. The Giants signed Snell to a two-year, $62 million pact late in the offseason. He did not even make a Cactus League appearance with San Francisco.

The Giants tabbed Ryan Walker to start in Snell's place as they planned a bullpen game. He completed one scoreless inning, but the Giants lost the game by a score of 8-2.

Landen Roupp was optioned before Tuesday's game but was eligible to be recalled given that he was replacing an injured player. The right-handed hurler impressed the coaching staff in camp and it was a mild surprise that he made the Opening Day roster.

The 25-year-old had not pitched above Double-A before the start of this season. That said, he would have likely been promoted to Triple-A had he not sustained a back injury midway through last season. Roupp recorded a 1.74 ERA in 10 starts with the Richmond Flying Squirrels before landing on the injured list.

Overall, the righty pitcher has a 6.17 ERA in nine outings with the Giants. This includes allowing three earned runs in 1.1 frames against the Mets on Wednesday.