Lucchesi reunites with Giants on Minor League deal (report)
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Left-hander Joey Lucchesi is headed back to the Giants on a Minor League deal with an invite to big league Spring Training, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported Monday. The team has not confirmed the news.
The Giants similarly signed Lucchesi to a Minor League deal with a Spring Training invite last February and he began the season in relief with Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a 3.23 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 2 1/2 months in his first extended run as a full-time reliever in pro ball. The 32-year-old became a vital cog in the Giants' bullpen upon his callup in mid-June and appeared in 38 games, finishing with a 3.76 ERA in 38 1/3 innings.
His re-addition is a timely one: On Monday, the Giants announced that left-handed reliever Reiver Sanmartin would miss multiple months due to a high-grade right hip flexor strain that he sustained fielding a ground ball in preparation for the World Baseball Classic with Team Colombia last Tuesday. Additionally, Erik Miller is facing time constraints in getting back into game shape with Opening Night just over two weeks away; the 6-foot-5 southpaw hasn't appeared in Cactus League action as he deals with lower back tightness. That, combined with Sam Hentges' (knee/shoulder) murky timetable, leaves just Matt Gage among the club's healthy left-handed relief options on the 40-man roster.
Lucchesi has paired his arsenal down to a three-pitch mix in relief: sinker, four-seamer and curve -- or "churve," as it's come to be known. He threw his curveball-changeup hybrid almost equally between left- and right-handed batters last year and ran a 27.2 percent whiff rate, while batters produced just a .182 xBA with a .280 expected slugging percentage against the offering.
The seven-year MLB vet neutralized lefties in particular last season, holding same-side batters to a .219 average and .598 OPS across 82 plate appearances. While there were some blips on his ERA down the stretch, he was rock solid during a run from June 18-Aug. 11 when he allowed just three earned runs over 20 innings.