Notes: Ramos sidelined; Samardzija ready

July 19th, 2020

Outfield prospect Heliot Ramos is being treated for a leg infection that kept him out of Friday night’s intrasquad game at Oracle Park, manager Gabe Kapler said on Saturday.

Kapler doesn’t believe the malady is serious, but he said he would consult with the Giants’ medical staff before sharing a potential timetable for Ramos’ return.

“I don't have long-term concerns,” Kapler said. “Generally, what that means to me is I don't expect it to be months. I probably want to get a little bit more information before providing any sort of projections, but I don't have concerns about this being a major setback.”

Ramos, the club’s 2017 first-round Draft pick out of Puerto Rico, was not expected to make the Opening Day roster, but Kapler hasn’t ruled out a potential 2020 debut for the 20-year-old. Ramos, who is ranked the Giants’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, batted .290 with an .850 OPS and 16 home runs over 102 games between Class A Advanced San Jose and Double-A Richmond last season.

Ramos also dealt with a left oblique strain during Spring Training and missed nearly a month with a sprained ligament in his left knee last year.

Intrasquad notes
The Giants staged their final intrasquad game of Summer Camp at Oracle Park on Saturday night, with Team Black defeating Team Orange, 3-1, in four innings.

Right-hander Johnny Cueto, who is scheduled to pitch for the Giants in their season opener in Los Angeles on Thursday, gave up three runs on three hits, including an RBI double to Mauricio Dubón in the first inning and a solo home run to catcher candidate Chadwick Tromp in the fourth. It was Tromp’s third homer of intrasquad action, bolstering his case for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

First baseman Brandon Belt (sore right heel) appeared in his first intrasquad game as a designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a flyout and a groundout against Cueto. Belt has not yet been cleared to run the bases, but Kapler believes the 32-year-old veteran still has a shot to be ready by Thursday.

Beware Shark
Veteran right-hander Jeff Samardzija didn’t look especially sharp in his start on Friday night, giving up two runs over three innings. He did not strike out a single batter and appeared to top out at 89.6 mph, but Kapler said he isn’t worried about Samardzija’s readiness for the regular season.

“We're just not invested in the performance in this modified camp,” Kapler said. “We're not invested in velocity readings like we are with the work that they've done to get them to this point in their careers, where they're trusted members of our Major League team.”

Hey, Siri
Outfielder José Siri, who was added to the Giants’ player pool earlier this week, appeared in his first intrasquad game with the Giants on Friday, and he quickly flashed his impressive speed and arm strength.

After singling off Samardzija in the second inning, Siri stole second, then aggressively took third on a groundout by Joe McCarthy. His most eye-popping moment came in right field, though, as he showed off his cannon-like arm when he caught a fly ball off the bat of Austin Slater and fired an accurate throw to third baseman Will Wilson to keep Marco Luciano at second base.

“Siri is super tooled up,” Kapler said. “Incredible arm strength. I know he's got some assists to show for it the last couple of years. The speed is real. I think we've all been aware of the power. I think the only thing that has been holding him from becoming an everyday Major League player is some of the whiff -- the swing and miss. I think that's going to be the focus for Siri going forward, because he really does have all the tools necessary to get a great Major Leaguer.”

Up next
The Giants will enjoy an off-day on Sunday before playing the first of two exhibition games against the A’s on Monday night at the Coliseum. Right-hander Kevin Gausman will make the start, and left-handed reliever Tony Watson is expected to make his second outing of Summer Camp. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on NBC Sports Bay Area and broadcast on KNBR 680.