What on Earth are the SF Giants going to do about their starting rotation?

The SF Giants have had to scramble recently to put together a starting rotation. For a while they had to roll with Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, and Kyle Harrison and then bullpen games. Keaton Winn's latest outing leaves more questions than answers.

What on Earth are the SF Giants going to do about their starting rotation?

The Giants have been able to rely on Webb, Hicks, and Harrison in their rotation. For the most part, all three have been able to reliably go 5 innings or more in their starts and provide the team with a chance to win the game. While this could lead to some issues down the road for Hicks and Harrison, it has worked for the team. The other two spots in the rotation have been much tougher to figure out.

If Blake Snell was healthy, he would take one of those spots. He seems to be progressing from his groin injury, but the Giants have had to get creative recently to fill his spot. They allowed Spencer Howard to start Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers and he did a great job, allowing just one run in 4 and 2/3 innings. He definitely earner another turn in the rotation after that outing.

The final spot in the rotation is less clear for the time being. Keaton Winn was activated from the IL yesterday against the Rangers, but he got knocked around to the tune of 7 earned runs in 4 and 1/3 innings of work. That ballooned his ERA to an alarming 6.94 on the year. He has shown promise at times this year, but if the struggles for him continue the Giants cannot afford to trot him out there every fifth day to get hit around.

The problem is that the Giants do not have many better options as of right now. They tried Mason Black but he was not much better than Winn has been. Landen Roupp is another option, but he did not show enough earlier in the season to suggest that he is ready to be a big-league starter.

The Giants are still awaiting the return of two veterans in Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray, but it seems as if that may occur closer to the All-Star break in the case of Cobb and after the break in the case of Ray.

It seems for now that the Giants must simply ride it out with the options they have and try to survive. Bullpen games may have to be an option if Howard and Winn cannot be reliable enough as starters.

It is not ideal, but in a long season where players get injured and guys underperform, you have to get creative as you try to win games and hunt for a spot in the postseason.