Young SF Giants pitcher shut down for remainder of season after landing on injured list

Young SF Giants lefty Kyle Harrison landed on the injured list on Friday with a shoulder ailment. In a corresponding move, veteran reliever Austin Warren was recalled according to the team's transaction log.

Young SF Giants pitcher shut down for remainder of season after landing on injured list

Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area confirms that the Giants will shut Harrison down for the remainder of the year and prepare for next season. The 23-year-old did receive some positive news as he underwent an MRI on the ailing shoulder, which only showed inflammation.

In theory, Harrison could return for the final week of the year. However, he has set a new career high in innings pitched with 124.1. Plus, the velocity had been inconsistent in the second half of the season.

This year has been a mixed bag for the young lefty but that is to be expected for someone in his age-22 season. On the bright side, he did mix in his changeup and slurve a little better as the season progressed. When he debuted for the Giants in 2023, he was more reliant on his fastball-slurve, so being able to throw that changeup will be a big step in his development.

The control did show some improvement as well. He tallied a 3.0 BB/9, which is right around the league-average rate. This might be the cause of an elevated home-run rate (1.3 HR/9), so it will be a number to monitor as he progresses.

On a more sour note, Harrison's velocity was not quite as expected as he averaged 92.5 MPH, down from 93.6 MPH just last season. That could have been a function of him trying to pace himself as he pitches through a long season. It is possible that the velocity could sit in the low 90's as he pitches deeper into games.

Overall, the southpaw pitcher posted a 4.56 ERA with 118 strikeouts against 42 walks in 124.1 innings. There was a pretty stark contrast between his ERA in the first half (4.08 ERA) and second half (5.63 ERA). That likely points to a pitcher who wore down later in the year. The Giants would have preferred a stronger finish, but they saw enough positives to be able to pencil him into next year's rotation.

The Giants recalled Austin Warren to take Harrison's place on the roster. The righty pitcher has completed two scoreless innings with San Francisco. In parts of four major league seasons, he has pitched to a 3.43 ERA.