SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Tommy La Stella took another step forward in his recovery from offseason Achilles surgery on Thursday, making his first start of the spring at second base in a 13-2 rout of the Rockies at Scottsdale Stadium.
La Stella played three innings at second before being replaced by Brett Auerbach, but he got plenty of opportunities to test his Achilles during his short stint on the dirt, most notably when he ranged far to his right to snag a grounder that Yonathan Daza beat out for an infield single in the third.
“I didn’t get cheated on defensive reps,” La Stella said. “It was good to be out there and go side to side and be able to rebound and come back on the next play. Whenever I am ready, it’s the stuff I’ve got to be able to do.”
While La Stella is still ramping up defensively, his bat already appears to be in midseason form, as he went 2-for-2 with his first home run of the spring, a solo shot to right field off Rockies right-hander Chad Kuhl in the first. He also singled and came around to score on Wilmer Flores’ two-out single in the second.
“He swung the bat really well, obviously,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “He had Tommy-style at-bats. He was measured on both defense and on the bases, by design.”
La Stella is now 3-for-4 with a home run and a double over his first two Cactus League games, though he said his status for Opening Day remains uncertain. The universal designated hitter would give the Giants the option to carry La Stella even if he isn’t ready to play nine innings at second base, particularly if he continues to swing a hot bat over the next week.
“Nothing is off the table,” Kapler said.
Crawford breaks out
Brandon Crawford went 0-for-10 with six strikeouts over his first four games of the spring, but he snapped out of the funk by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and his first Cactus League home run on Thursday. Crawford teamed up with La Stella to go back to back off Kuhl in the second and added a single and a double before departing after playing six innings at shortstop.
“I was not feeling great about my swing a couple of days ago,” Crawford said. “My timing was still off. I was kind of feeling for my swing a little bit. I kind of figured something out with the hitting coaches yesterday and worked awhile in the cages and then took some live at-bats and I felt a lot better. I was just happy it translated into the game today.”
The Giants tallied 15 hits against the Rockies, with center fielder Mauricio Dubón going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and left fielder Luis González finishing 3-for-3 with a solo shot.
Wood continues to roll
Left-hander Alex Wood gave up his first runs of the spring, but he still looked sharp in his penultimate Cactus League appearance. Wood, working at his usual crisp pace on the mound, gave up two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out four over 4 1/3 innings. The only damage came in the third, when he surrendered RBI singles to Daza and Randal Grichuk.
“It was nice to have a little traffic in the third inning and try to pitch out of it,” Wood said. “I thought I was really sharp early. I maybe fatigued a little bit as we went on and missed location. I thought the stuff was good. Velo was good. Just a few command things there late in that third inning, just finishing my slider and being able to drill my fastball up and in like I like to do.”
Wood is lined up to make one final start before the regular season, though he said the Giants haven’t determined whether he’ll pitch in their Cactus League finale against the A’s on Tuesday or start a simulated game.
Giants hold Mental Health Awareness Day
Giants players and staff wore black T-shirts bearing the message “Strength isn’t always physical” as part of their organizational Mental Health Awareness Day on Thursday.
Drew Robinson, a former Major League outfielder who survived a suicide attempt and now works in the Giants’ front office, gave a presentation at Scottsdale Stadium along with fellow mental health advocates Shana Alexander and Emily Cheatum and emotional support dogs Ellie and Willie.
Kapler said Robinson’s message was that “everybody is suffering with something,” which the Giants hope will encourage more players to come forward and seek help when they’re going through periods of emotional distress.
“Whatever it is that you’re dealing with, from a mental health perspective, oftentimes you feel like you’re the only person,” Kapler said. “Especially in a historically competition-driven environment, showing any sort of weakness has always been seen as a lack of strength. In reality, we believe it’s the direct opposite of that. It’s an indication of strength.”