What to Know
- Catcher Daniel Susac is expected to return to the big league club soon after rehabbing an elbow injury.
- Susac’s return could result in catcher Jesús Rodríguez or catcher Patrick Bailey being sent down to the minors.
- “Stay with two catchers, and there’s going to be some feelings hurt,” Mike Krukow said Friday on KNBR.
The Giants have started the season off on the wrong foot, and the dilemmas continue to pile up. Tinkering with lineups has been constant, but an upcoming roster question might be the most critical decision yet.
Daniel Susac is expected to return to the big league club soon after rehabbing an elbow injury. This could result in Jesús Rodríguez or Patrick Bailey being sent down to the minors. Mike Krukow joined KNBR on Friday to discuss the situation.
“Stay with two catchers, and there’s going to be some feelings hurt,” Krukow said. “You can’t send Susac back. If he is a healthy athlete, then he has to play. He’s a rule five. He can’t be sent down. If you send him back down, you’re basically giving up on him. He’s going to go back to where he came. So, he’s going to stay.”
Susac showed off Thursday night for the start of his rehab assignment in Sacramento. The 24-year-old went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. From the production at the plate, it seems Susac is feeling pretty good and should be back up with the Giants in no time.
That leaves a big question mark for the other two catchers on the roster. Rodríguez has been swinging a hot bat since he was called up, but he has shown some weaknesses defensively. Patrick Bailey has demonstrated just the opposite.
The two-time Gold Glove catcher has a .146 batting average with one home run and five RBI. Bailey clearly is struggling more than the other two catchers offensively, and it could be time for a reset in the minors to get his swing figured out.
“They might just stay with two,” Krukow continued. “Then there’s the next question, which two?”
Rodríguez only has nine at-bats so far this season, but he’s made the most of his opportunity. The rookie is hitting .444 in his first three games and will look to continue his hot streak against the Pirates.
Tony Vitello and Buster Posey have received tons of criticism over the past few weeks, which adds to the pressure of making the correct move at catcher. One of three will be discouraged no matter what. They will either be sent down to Triple-A Sacramento or have their playing time decrease significantly.
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