PHILADELPHIA -- Five years after making his Major League debut in San Francisco, Gregory Santos is back for his second stint with the Giants.
Santos was selected from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, allowing the hard-throwing right-hander to don the orange and black in the big leagues for the first time since 2022.
“It’s a great feeling,” Santos said in Spanish. “Coming back here was something that I didn’t expect.”
The Giants optioned right-hander Blade Tidwell to Triple-A Sacramento and transferred outfielder Jared Oliva to the 60-day injured list to clear the requisite roster spots for Santos, who is poised to join a bullpen that entered Thursday with a 3.03 ERA, the second-best mark in the Majors behind the Rangers (2.82).
“I don’t watch the games, but I find out what’s going on based on reports from other guys down there,” Santos said. “Thank God, the relievers have been doing a great job. I hope to be a piece that can contribute a lot to the bullpen.”
Santos, 26, originally signed with the Red Sox as a teenager out of his native Dominican Republic in 2015, though he was sent to the Giants as part of the Eduardo Núñez deal at the 2017 Trade Deadline. He broke into the big leagues with the Giants in ‘21, though he appeared in only five games before he was designated for assignment and traded to the White Sox for cash considerations in December 2022.
Santos went on to enjoy a breakout season in Chicago in 2023, logging a 3.39 ERA with five saves in 60 relief appearances for the White Sox. He found himself on the move again when he was dealt to the Mariners in February 2024, but he was hampered by injuries and made only 16 appearances over his two seasons in Seattle.
Santos became a free agent after he was non-tendered by the Mariners last November, paving the way for him to rejoin the Giants on a Minor League deal over the offseason. He was viewed as a strong candidate to earn a spot in San Francisco’s bullpen out of Spring Training, but he missed time while on bereavement leave and was ultimately reassigned to Minor League camp after recording a 5.40 ERA in four Cactus League outings.
Still, Santos continued to impress at Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a 2.45 ERA with three saves over his first eight appearances for the River Cats.
“Honestly, I wasn’t ready [during Spring Training], because I wasn’t controlling my pitches and I was a little inconsistent,” Santos said. “But I opened up a spot for myself now.”
The Giants have been using a closer-by-committee approach early this season, so Santos could certainly factor into the ninth-inning mix since he has some closing experience in the Majors.
Tidwell, 24, recorded a 3.00 ERA over his first eight appearances for the Giants this year, but he was expected to be down for a few days after throwing 47 pitches over two innings in Tuesday night’s series opener at Citizens Bank Park.
By sending him to the Minors, the Giants will be able to get Tidwell back into a starting routine and have him compete with fellow hurlers like Carson Seymour and Carson Whisenhunt for future rotation opportunities in San Francisco.
“It makes a little bit of sense to stretch [Tidwell] out and also have him ready for a spot start,” manager Tony Vitello said. “Some of those guys have just done OK. They're capable of more. It'll be fun to see him down with that group and see if those guys can gain strength. This is a spot I think a lot of people have thought Santos, at the very least, would have a shot [at] and a good chance of making an impact there.”
McDonald appointed as 27th man
The Giants also recalled right-hander Trevor McDonald from Triple-A Sacramento and named him their 27th man for Thursday’s split doubleheader against the Phillies.
McDonald, 25, was an early standout during Spring Training, though he hit a rough patch toward the end of Cactus League play and ended up opening the season in Sacramento, where he logged a 5.40 ERA over his first five appearances (four starts) in 2026.
“It's good to have McDonald here,” Vitello said. “He’s a guy who halfway through Spring Training, you could envision having any kind of role with our team. I like the fact that he's up with us and has some toughness. We’ll see if he gets a shot today.”