SF Giants offseason addition to make 2026 Cactus League debut this weekend

Veteran pitcher Tyler Mahle has not made an appearance yet this spring, but that could soon be changing. He tells Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he is slated to pitch on Saturday.

SF Giants offseason addition to make 2026 Cactus League debut this weekend

That game will be against the A's at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. If you are venturing out to Arizona this spring, our own Nick San Miguel put together a list of good food options to seek out while you are there. And, if you are hiking, the trails are well marked, but be sure to bring plenty of water!

If you can believe it, the Giants have already cycled through the rotation once, as spring training is fully underway. Logan Webb, Adrian Houser, Landen Roupp, and Robbie Ray have all already made at least one appearance. Webb "broke" Statcast in his latest outing.

For the core of pitchers, the results are not necessarily all that important. What is important is that they build up enough arm strength to be able to throw four or five innings once the season begins.

Health will be key, and that has been fleeting for Mahle in recent seasons. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. This sidelined him for the first half of 2024, but he has also dealt with shoulder fatigue since returning from elbow surgery.

Since the start of 2023, the nine-year veteran has only made 24 starts. When healthy, he has been quite good. This includes pitching to a 2.18 ERA in 16 starts for the Texas Rangers last season. However, Mahle missed most of the second half of the year due to shoulder fatigue.

Bruce Bochy managed Mahle over the past two seasons. Of course, Bochy moved into a front office role with the Giants in the offseason. He was a driving voice behind the addition of Mahle, and while being a special advisor can be a ceremonial role at times, this addition highlights the weight that Bochy's opinion will carry in the front office.

The Giants hope that Mahle can remain healthy and give the Giants some quality volume in the rotation. His 2026 debut is set to kick off soon enough.