Mailbag: When could Giants call on Whisenhunt?

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants seemed to be trending in the right direction after putting together a solid 5-5 road trip that featured a series split against the Brewers and a series win over the Cubs.

But they struggled to build on that momentum since returning home before Wednesday's electric comeback win to close the series, dropping two in a row to the Nationals while leaving a combined 25 runners on base over that span.

With the Giants sitting 13 games under .500 at 28-41 entering Thursday, these are the questions on fans' minds:

What's the plan to address the dire pitching situation?
-- @j-nametag.bsky.social

While the Giants have struggled to cash in on scoring opportunities against the Nationals, their offense has ticked up in recent weeks. They entered Wednesday fifth in the Majors in runs scored over the last 30 days, but they haven’t been able to sync that up with consistent pitching, as they also rank 27th in the Majors with a 5.12 ERA over that span.

San Francisco’s rotation got a big boost with the return of Logan Webb, who has a 0.93 ERA in three starts since coming back from the injured list and does a great job of setting the tone for the rest of the pitching staff. But the club’s bullpen has looked porous in June, logging an MLB-worst 7.96 ERA with 25 walks over 31 2/3 innings over nine games this month.

The Giants didn’t invest heavily in their bullpen over the offseason, so those results aren’t entirely surprising. Caleb Kilian and Keaton Winn have emerged as nice pieces, but the lack of dependable back-end arms has burned the team repeatedly this year.

One option could be to bring erstwhile closer Ryan Walker back into the mix, as he’s recorded a 1.93 ERA in eight appearances for Triple-A Sacramento since being demoted to the Minors on May 10. The Giants were hoping Jason Foley -- one of the club’s two offseason bullpen additions -- would be ready to come off the 60-day IL this week, but the former Tigers closer was recently shut down from his rehab assignment after experiencing fatigue in his surgically repaired right shoulder.

It will be interesting to see how the Giants decide to move forward with Tyler Mahle, who threw to hitters at Oracle Park on Tuesday and will be eligible to return from his left hamstring strain as soon as Thursday. Mahle went 1-7 with a 6.04 ERA in 11 starts before landing on the 15-day IL, but the time off might have given him a chance to work on some adjustments. The question now is whether he’ll slot back into the rotation or be shifted to the bullpen once he’s ready to come back online.

When will Carson Whisenhunt get called up?
-- @porksodaenthusiast.bsky.social

Whisenhunt, the Giants’ No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline, earned Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month honors in May and has a 3.66 ERA over his first 13 outings (12 starts) for Triple-A Sacramento this year, so he’s certainly put himself in line to get a look in San Francisco’s rotation in the near future.

“The progress has been tremendous,” manager Tony Vitello said Sunday. “I think I’ll just throw it out there -- I think he's next up if there's a start that's needed with how he's done.”

While a Whisenhunt callup doesn’t feel imminent, the Giants could turn to him down the line if they don’t get better production out of Mahle or fellow right-hander Adrian Houser, who has a 5.54 ERA in 13 starts and has been unable to complete five innings in four consecutive outings.

“He's left-handed, so you're always looking for opportunities,” Vitello said of the 25-year-old Whisenhunt.

The consensus seems to be that [Luis] Arraez will be traded before the Deadline. But it seems to me rental players like that don’t bring much back. Do you think they’d consider holding on to him and extend the qualifying offer for 2027? A Draft pick might be better than a trade.
-- @josephpbelli.bsky.social

Given where the Giants are in the standings, I think the most likely outcome is that Arraez is moved ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. Holding on to Arraez would carry some injury risk, so I think the Giants would be better off targeting young prospects who could improve the depth of their farm system this year. Plus, trading Arraez would allow San Francisco to open up a spot on the infield for Casey Schmitt in the second half.

Who do you think from the farm system is most likely to get called up this year that can help the team long term?
-- @judgenick.bsky.social

Catcher Drew Cavanaugh is batting .373 with a 1.166 OPS over 21 games for Triple-A Sacramento this season, so he could be a name to watch moving forward. The Giants also promoted left-handed pitching prospects Matt Wilkinson and Joe Whitman (Giants’ No. 23 prospect) to Sacramento last week, which could put them in the mix to debut in 2026 as well.