Menez debuts Sunday, Pomeranz shifts to 'pen

July 20th, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants tweaked their pitching rotation Saturday, as manager Bruce Bochy announced that left-hander Conner Menez will make his Major League debut by starting Sunday’s series finale against the New York Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT, live on MLB.TV.

The logic behind Menez’s promotion was exceedingly simple. “He earned it,” Bochy said. Menez will replace left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who will move to the bullpen. A corresponding move to add Menez to the active roster will be announced Sunday.

Menez, rated 21st on San Francisco’s Top 30 Prospects (per MLB Pipeline), has divided the season between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. The 24-year-old’s combined statistics include a 5-3 record with a 3.13 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). More impressively, Menez has accumulated 123 strikeouts in 95 innings, an average of 11.65 strikeouts per nine innings.

Menez’s penchant for strikeouts is legitimate. Last year, he amassed 171 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings across three classifications. The grandson of former Major League catcher Bill Plummer, Menez will become the 10th different Giant to start a game this year.

Pomeranz (2-9, 6.10 ERA) frequently displayed effective stuff in his 17 outings, as his 84 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings indicate. However, he tended to exhaust his pitch limits quickly, accounting for his average of slightly less than five innings per start.