SF Giants assigned top power-hitting prospect to Double-A, activate from injured list

Bryce Eldridge's 2025 season officially got underway on Tuesday. The SF Giants top power-hitting prospect was assigned to the Richmond Flying Squirrels and activated from the injured list, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants assigned top power-hitting prospect to Double-A, activate from injured list

Eldridge did finish last season in Triple-A, but he will return to Double-A for a little more seasoning. The Giants promoted him to the Sacramento River Cats late last season after only nine games with Richmond.

They did this because Richmond's season concluded, and they wanted him to get more playing time, even if he had not fully graduated from Double-A just yet. They even sent him to the Arizona Fall League to continue getting at-bats after the minor league season ended.

The Giants considered in the offseason whether Double-A or Triple-A was a more appropriate placement for Eldridge. In the end, they went with the more conservative approach, which is not a bad thing, and it is probably best for his development for a few reasons.

The left-handed bat was a non-roster invitee in camp. While the odds of him making the club were low, it will likely be a good experience. He sustained a wrist injury late in spring training, and his 2025 debut was slowed because of it.

Eldridge wasted no time in re-introducing himself to the Eastern League in a loud way. In his first at-bat of the year, he blasted a long home run to right field against the Akron RubberDucks:

The 20-year-old prospect is coming off a strong 2024 campaign while soaring up the prospect rankings. He slashed .292/.374/.516 with 23 home runs and 92 RBI in 519 plate appearances split across four levels.

First base was a soft spot on the roster this offseason, but the Giants decided to stick with the short-term alternatives in Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. Any longer-term addition at the position would have only blocked Eldridge from debuting with the club until there was a solution.

Of course, the calls for the Giants' top prospect will grow louder if he continues to perform. Giants first basemen have slashed .136/.238/.261 (42 wRC+) with a 10.8 percent walk rate, 30.4 percent strikeout rate, and .125 ISO. Incredibly, three teams have a worse wRC+ at first base than the Giants this season.

It is still very early in the year for the Giants' contingent to turn it around. As the calendar inches closer to May, a slow start becomes more concerning as the sample grows. That said, the Giants will be patient with Eldridge, but Bob Melvin has already joked about when Giants fans might see him at Oracle Park.