Mahle more efficient than expected in final spring tuneup

WEST SACRAMENTO -- As soon as he recorded the final out of the fifth inning Sunday night on a lineout to left field, Tyler Mahle began to stride toward the bullpen beyond the right-field wall.

He had more work to do.

Mahle proved to be quite efficient in the Giants’ 2-1 loss to Triple-A Sacramento in Sunday’s exhibition game at Sutter Health Park. A bit too efficient, in fact.

The right-handed starter was slated to throw roughly 80 pitches across five innings in his final tuneup for the 2026 regular season. Instead, Mahle completed five strong frames in just 67 pitches. He left the game, but he wasn’t done yet: Mahle finished his night with some additional throws in the visitors’ bullpen.

“He didn’t have to, but he wanted to be able to get up and down an extra time,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said.

It was just the latest economical preseason outing for Mahle, who wrapped up an excellent Spring Training -- tossing 10 scoreless innings, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits in four games -- before making Sunday’s start against the River Cats. The Giants’ No. 1 prospect Bryce Eldridge’s solo homer in the fourth inning was Sacramento’s only hit against Mahle, who walked one and struck out four.

“I’m feeling really good,” Mahle said. “Feeling healthy and strong.”

Good health is paramount for a pitcher who hasn’t had much of it in recent seasons. Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 and made only three starts after returning in 2024. He made his first 14 starts of 2025 for the Rangers and posted a 2.34 ERA before right shoulder fatigue sidelined him for three months. Mahle returned late in the year, making two more starts for Texas.

The Giants, who signed Mahle to a one-year, $10 million deal in January, are, of course, well aware of his injury history.

“When you look at acquiring players, you look at all things track record-wise,” Vitello said. “It could be their age. It could be anything.”

But that doesn’t mean San Francisco has strict limits on Mahle’s 2026 workload. The 31-year-old expects to take the ball regularly throughout the season as part of a Giants rotation that also features Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp and fellow free-agent signing Adrian Houser.

“I’m excited to get to watch these guys pitch and be able to compete beside them,” Mahle said. “I think we’ve got a really good rotation.”

If Mahle keeps pitching like he did Sunday -- and all spring -- that will certainly hold true. He induced mostly soft contact, allowing only four hard-hit balls in his five innings of work, and he struck out hitters with his four-seam fastball (twice), slider and cutter.

Mahle didn’t even need to go all out to stymie the River Cats’ lineup: He averaged just 90.5 mph on his four-seamer, down a tick from his 92.0 mph average from 2025 (and from his 91.9 mph average during 2026 Cactus League play). His fastest pitch was just 92.4 mph.

The righty said he felt sharper as the game went on, a statement borne out by his three K’s in his final two innings. Only on Eldridge’s homer, a 105.9 mph, 444-foot blast to the opposite field, did Mahle suffer any real damage.

If it wasn’t clear from his four previous spring starts -- scoreless outings of one, two, three and four innings, in that order -- Mahle is fully prepared for the regular season to begin, although he’s happy to keep tinkering.

“You’re always kind of working on stuff,” Mahle said. “There’s a point where you feel ready once you face hitters and you feel comfortable with where your stuff’s at, but you’re always trying to get better. I think a couple of weeks ago, everyone was ready to get started.”

Taking “a little bit from everybody” on Vitello’s staff -- pitching coach Justin Meccage, assistant pitching coach Christian Wonders, director of Major League pitching Frank Anderson and bullpen coach Jesse Chavez -- Mahle is settling in nicely ahead of his first regular season with the Giants.

And as Sunday’s solid outing showed, he’s ready to put in the work.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun, and I’m excited,” Mahle said.