SAN FRANCISCO -- With their catching options thinned by the injury to Daniel Susac, the Giants decided to bring back veteran backstop Andrew Knizner on a Major League deal on Tuesday.
Knizner, 31, will give the Giants an experienced veteran to pair with rookie Drew Cavanaugh, who is expected to assume the bulk of the catching reps now that Susac is likely out for the year with a left knee patellar fracture. It’ll mark Knizner’s second stint with the Giants, as he also appeared in 33 games for the club in 2025.
“It's a good fit for me to come back,” Knizner said. “It's an easy transition. I know most of the guys here. I loved playing in the city. It’s a great stadium. I kind of know everything, so it's quick and easy to just come in and fall into place.”
Fellow catcher Zach Morgan was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to clear a spot on the 26-man roster for Knizner. The Giants also activated outfielder Victor Bericoto from the 10-day injured list and designated Eddys Leonard for assignment.
Knizner has yet to play in the big leagues this year, but he was having a good season in the Minors, batting .294 with a .945 OPS and 12 home runs over 54 games between the Rockies and Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliates. He became a free agent when he exercised the opt-out clause in his Minor League deal with Boston last week, creating a path for him to land back with the Giants.
“I think it’s good to have his experience, but mostly to have his personality,” manager Tony Vitello said. “Familiarity adds to that a little bit. He’s pretty quick to get comfortable in a social setting. I think he’s good to have around -- good vibes is the easiest way to talk about it. But also, having experience for what lies ahead. Cavanaugh is going to be carrying the brunt of the action as we go forward. It’ll be good for him to have [Knizner] to lean on.”
The Giants are waiting for the swelling in Susac’s knee to go down before they determine a treatment plan, but Vitello said the 25-year-old rookie is not expected to catch again this year.
Susac suffered the injury when he fouled a ball directly off his left kneecap in the fifth inning of the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the Tigers on Sunday. He stayed in the game for another two innings, but he realized the issue might be more serious than expected when he continued to experience significant pain the next day.
An MRI exam ended up confirming the fracture on Monday, forcing Susac on the IL for the third time this year.
“I've never done it before,” said Susac, who is sporting a big brace on his left knee and using crutches. “I've obviously blocked balls off my knee and stuff like that. I thought it was one of those, ‘Oh, it's going to hurt for the night. It'll be fine tomorrow.’ And then it still hurt the next day. When I came to the field, I was like, ‘I don't think it's normal.’”
The setback will cut short a promising debut season for Susac, but the Roseville, Calif., native should still enter the 2027 season as the frontrunner to serve as the Giants’ starting catcher. He batted .243 with a .664 OPS and three homers over 53 games, but he made impressive strides on the defensive end, ranking sixth among Major League catchers with a +7 fielding run value this year.
“I think I know what I need to work on, and that's just the biggest thing now is getting after that as soon as I can,” Susac said. “Whenever I can get after training for the future -- work on controlling the zone, working on putting together better at-bats, stuff on the defensive side of the ball I need to work on -- I think that's the biggest thing for me. It's just implementing that in the offseason so I can come back even better.”
Susac, a former first-round Draft pick of the A’s who was acquired from the Twins in exchange for catching prospect Miguel Caraballo and cash considerations in December, needed to spend 90 days on the active roster to shed his Rule 5 Draft status for '27. He narrowly cleared that threshold before landing back on the IL this week, which was a major silver lining for both him and the Giants.
“I didn't know it was a thing, but I'm obviously glad to be with the Giants,” Susac said. “Hopefully I can stay here for a long time.”