The SF Giants now have a pair of 60-day roster levers they can pull

José Buttó and Jared Oliva landed on the injured list recently, and both are expected to have an extended absence. The Giants should be able to open up a couple of spots on the 40-man roster by transferring either player to the 60-day injured list.

The SF Giants now have a pair of roster levers they can pull

Buttó underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from his right arm. The issue was discovered after an appearance in which his fastball velocity was down by several ticks.

The estimated recovery is two-to-four months. Buttó could return by the middle of this season, but that will depend entirely on his rehab. More than anything, we just hope that he has a speedy recovery because that is a scary injury.

Buttó struggled through three outings, likely due to the blood clot. Overall, he has a 3.76 ERA across five major league seasons. The Giants planned for him to be a contributor in this year’s bullpen.

On the other hand, Jared Oliva suffered a broken hamate bone. He landed on the injured list on the same day as Harrison Bader. Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan took their place on the roster.

The recovery timeline for broken hamate bones varies, but it is usually around two months. Hand and wrist injuries during the season are tricky because while the player returns to the field, the effects usually linger even after the player makes it back to the field. 

Oliva made the club out of spring training after demonstrating the value his speed brings to the table. The Giants hoped to leverage that more during the season, but the pinch-runner/defensive specialist role is a niche one. 

Overall, the right-handed bat tallied one hit in seven at-bats with one steal.

Oliva and Buttó are not due back soon. The 40-man roster is currently full, so the only way to make additions is by removing from it. Transferring a player to the 60-day injured list does just that. 

The move is also retroactive to the initial placement on the injured list. If the Giants decide a month from now that they want to move Oliva to the 60-day injured list, the 60-day clock still factors in the initial placement on the injured list. In this case, it would be April 15. 

The Sacramento River Cats are off to a blistering 10-4 start, and they have a handful of non-roster players making some noise. Maybe some of those players have already caught the Giants’ attention.

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