SF Giants calling up Eldridge may relegate veteran fan favorite to platoon duties

The SF Giants have called up their top prospect Bryce Eldridge with the hope that he can provide a spark on offense. This move may very well relegate veteran fan favorite Wilmer Flores to platoon duties going forward.

Eldridge said that Giants manager Bob Melvin told him that he would be used primarily as the designated hitter against right-handed pitching. Left unsaid is what this move means for Flores.

SF Giants calling up Eldridge means less opportunity for Flores

After Dominic Smith had to go on the IL with a hamstring injury and Eldridge was subsequently called up, the Giants still have three guys on their roster whose primary position is first base. It seems that the plan against right-handed pitching is to have Rafael Devers as the first baseman with Eldridge as the DH. Against lefties, the Giants will most likely have Flores in the lineup either as the DH or first baseman while keeping Devers in the lineup at the other spot in the lineup.

It will be interesting to see how this lineup configuration works out in the final weeks of the season. The Giants will face a left-handed starter tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks and there is a chance they will face two lefties against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Blake Snell and Clayton Kershaw. Flores will still get starts, but the Eldridge promotion definitely means less playing time for the veteran bat.

Flores carried the offense at times in the first half of the season but saw his production drop off considerably really ever since the team acquired Devers which has meant less playing time for him. On the season Flores is slashing .240/.308/.376 with 15 home runs and 68 runs batted in.

This is almost certainly going to be the last season in San Francisco for Flores. With the team looking to make a playoff push perhaps he could be a hero for the Giants down the stretch. Even if he sees more time on the bench we know he has a knack for coming up clutch off the bench so he can still help the team out.

He has also endeared himself to Giants fans over the years with his humility and the way he carries himself on the field. It is sometimes easy to forget that he has been with the Giants since 2020 so he has had a great run with the team.

Regardless, the Eldridge call up has essentially relegated him to platoon duties for the rest of the season but we will see if he can thrive with this new lineup configuration. 

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