Notes: Canario joins player pool; injury updates

Hamilton, García still not in camp; Ramos could play in 2020

July 9th, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants made three additions to their player pool on Wednesday, inviting No. 6 prospect , left-hander Caleb Baragar and right-hander Sam Wolff to train at Summer Camp. San Francisco has now filled 59 of 60 spots in its player pool.

With the Minor League season cancelled, the Giants have brought six of their top 10 prospects to Summer Camp to give them a chance to log meaningful reps and push forward their development this year. Catcher Joey Bart (No. 1), shortstop Marco Luciano (No. 2), outfielder Heliot Ramos (No. 3), third baseman Luis Toribio (No. 7) and infielder Will Wilson (No. 10) have also been participating in workouts at Oracle Park, along with 2020 first-round Draft pick Patrick Bailey.

Outfielder Hunter Bishop (No. 4) was expected to join the player pool as well, but he tested positive for COVID-19 last week and is currently under quarantine. The Giants could still add him to the group in the coming weeks, but he’ll have to test negative twice before he’s allowed to rejoin the team.

Canario, a 20-year-old outfielder, spent the bulk of the 2019 season at the Giants’ Class A short-season affiliate at Salem-Keizer, where he batted .301 with a .904 OPS and nine home runs over 49 games. He signed for $60,000 out of his native Dominican Republic in 2016, a bargain considering his offensive ceiling is viewed as among the best in the Giants’ farm system.

Baragar, 26, pitched across three Minor League levels in 2019 and finished the season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he tossed five scoreless innings to help the River Cats clinch the Triple-A National Championship in September. A ninth-round Draft pick of the Giants in 2016, Baragar posted a 3.45 ERA over 120 innings at Double-A Richmond last year.

Wolff, 29, was in big league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring. Acquired from the Rangers as part of the Matt Moore trade in 2017, Wolff recorded a 2.87 ERA over 47 innings across three Minor League levels last season.

Injury updates
First baseman Brandon Belt was spotted wearing a walking boot on Wednesday and did not participate in modified live batting practice at Oracle Park. Manager Gabe Kapler said Belt is dealing with right heel pain and will be re-evaluated in five to seven days. The Giants’ skipper believes it’s too early to know whether the ailment will affect Belt’s availability for the club’s season opener against the Dodgers on July 23.

“I think making an assessment for the opening series against the Dodgers is probably a little bit premature as it relates to Brandon’s heel,” Kapler said.

Veteran Hunter Pence logged five plate appearances on Wednesday, but he refrained from running the bases and playing the outfield as a “precautionary” measure, per Kapler. Pence has been dealing with minor foot pain, but the Giants don’t believe the issue is serious.

Catcher Buster Posey was not at the ballpark Wednesday due to a personal issue that also kept him out of Friday’s workout.

Hamilton, García absent
Center fielder Billy Hamilton and left-handed reliever Jarlín García have been absent from Giants workouts thus far. Kapler declined to share more details on their statuses.

“I don’t have anything to report,” Kapler said. "That is where I'm going to leave that question."

Kapler not ruling out 2020 debut for Ramos
Ramos logged reps in center field during the Giants’ modified scrimmage on Wednesday. During his weekly radio spot on KNBR on Monday, Kapler suggested it could be a good preview for Ramos, who might have the opportunity to reach the Majors in 2020.

"I'm never one to rule anything out, and Ramos has shown especially well in these first couple of days," Kapler said on "Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks." “He had another couple of good at-bats [Monday], just missed a hanging slider that [Carlos] Navas threw up there. He just missed it, fouled it straight back. The whole camp kind of opened their mouths. He just missed putting that ball on the seats.

“His engine is really incredible. Excellent bat speed, good throwing arm, smart kid. He’s been really great to have around. I wouldn't rule anything out, but the likelihood is there's probably a little bit more development there.”

Ramos, 20, batted .290 with an .850 OPS and 16 home runs over 102 games between Class A Advanced San Jose and Double-A Richmond in 2019.

Bay Bridge action
Kapler confirmed that the Giants and the A’s have agreed to play two exhibition games ahead of Opening Day on July 20-21. Kapler said the clubs are still debating whether to add a third game to their brief exhibition slate.