CINCINNATI -- Seeking to inject more production into their slumping lineup, the Giants shuffled their roster on Friday, designating outfielder Gerardo Parra for assignment and selecting the contract of Mike Gerber from Triple-A Sacramento.
Catcher Erik Kratz was also placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a left hamstring strain, while right-hander Tyler Beede was officially added to the roster ahead of his 2019 debut against the Reds.
Parra signed a Minor League deal with the Giants over the offseason and earned a spot with the club out of Spring Training. The decision to cut the 31-year-old veteran comes a week after the he was honored in Toronto for reaching 10 years of big league service time.
Known as an elite defender, Parra led the National League in outfield assists and ranked second in WAR, behind only Jeff Samardzija, but he endured a slow start at the plate, batting only .198 with a .546 OPS, one homer, six RBIs and two steals in his first 30 games this season.
When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that as well. Within seven days of the transaction (it was previously 10 days), the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.
“He’s going to be in the big leagues somewhere because he can impact a game defensively,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s always tough to say goodbye to a really, really good guy and player. I considered myself fortunate to get a chance to know him and see him for a least a couple months, to see what kind of guy he is, what kind of person. We’ll miss him. It’s time to give Gerber a look.”
Gerber, 26, was the first player acquired by president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi over the offseason, as the Giants claimed him off waivers after he was designated for assignment by the Tigers. A left-handed hitter, Gerber enjoyed a strong spring and carried that over into the regular season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he batted .357 with 1.057 OPS, six home runs and 15 RBIs in 21 games.
“I made a couple adjustments with my swing, and it seems to be paying off,” Gerber said. “For me, it was just getting my bat through the zone for a longer amount of time. My swing got really steep last year for whatever reason, so it took me a little bit to break that habit this offseason.”
Gerber can play all three outfield spots and started in left field on Friday, becoming the sixth different Giant to man the position this season. Though he was outrighted off the 40-man roster over the winter, Gerber has now reclaimed a spot and can still be optioned.
“He came in this spring and really opened a lot of eyes with how he played and how he swung the bat,” Bochy said. “He was consistent from Day One down there in Sacramento and had a big game in his last game, three hits, a home run. With a string of righties that we’re facing, that’s why we decided to call him up to give us another left-handed bat.”
Kratz, 37, has batted .133 with a .535 OPS in limited action this season. Stephen Vogt, who was called up Wednesday, will serve as Posey’s backup in Kratz’s absence and will likely start one of the Giants’ four games against the Reds this weekend. Bochy said Kratz’s ailment isn’t serious and shouldn’t keep him out for longer than 10 days.