SAN FRANCISCO – When Carson Whisenhunt was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento following a strong outing on June 17 in Atlanta, it seemed logical to imagine the left-hander would wind up back in the Majors soon.
And sure enough, the Giants’ No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline was called up on Thursday from Triple-A Sacramento for a spot start in the series opener with the Rockies. In a corresponding move, Ryan Walker was optioned to Sacramento.
Whisenhunt capitalized on his second Major League opportunity in 2026, limiting the Rockies to three hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings in San Francisco’s 8-2 win.
Whisenhunt logged four strikeouts: two via changeup and one each via four-seam fastball and slider, and though he issued four walks, he worked his way out of trouble effectively.
Pregame, manager Tony Vitello credited Whisenhunt’s “fun and good simplicity to him” on the mound as an option against the Rockies, who entered Thursday with the sixth-most runs scored in the National League (457) and fourth-best OPS (.752).
Offensively, two standouts of the Giants’ otherwise frustrating 2026 campaign made their presence felt. Casey Schmitt clubbed his seventh first-inning homer of the year – an achievement that put Schmitt in Bonds-ian territory, as his seven first-inning homers in ‘26 are the most before the Giants’ 95th game in a season since Barry clubbed eight in 2001.
In the fourth, Bryce Eldridge tallied the Giants’ first Splash Hit since Rafael Devers last Sept. 24, turning around a 3-1 Ryan Feltner slider and sending it into McCovey Cove for his eighth long ball in 51 games.
Those two homers and a two-run fifth inning were enough to hold off the Rockies and prevent the Giants from falling to 17 games under the .500 mark for the first time since they finished the 2017 season 64-98.
Whisenhunt, 25, earned Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month honors in May. Overall, he logged a 4.42 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) for the River Cats, with 82 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings.
Vitello stopped short of confirming Whisenhunt would stay in the rotation in the near future – the looming All-Star break tends to afford more options to clubs, after all – but the skipper did suggest Whisenhunt provides something fresh on the mound.
“I think his future is here,” said Vitello. “I mentioned it maybe yesterday or at some point, I really like the fact he kind of adds a different look, even if you compare him to fellow lefty Robbie [Ray]. It's definitely a different look for the other team.”
As for Walker, 2026 has been a significant struggle. Two years removed from a sterling 1.91 ERA in 76 outings out of the bullpen, Walker has been unable to recapture that consistency in 95 games since.
He’d been scored upon in each of his four July appearances, to the tune of nine runs in 4 2/3 innings, including three in the Giants’ 10-0 loss to the Blue Jays one day prior to his demotion.
This is the second time Walker has been optioned to Sacramento this season.
So what was Vitello’s message to the right-hander this time?
“Mainly just to keep working,” Vitello said. “I think the first go-around was something more he welcomed, and it felt like he needed this time around. … You know, obviously confidence is something we've talked about a lot, whether it relates to our team or other situations. That's the biggest thing. … You see a bunch of guys multiple times in a row, and especially when you get older, there's not a whole lot that can change with either your stuff or your repertoire, your swing is kind of your swing, but you can make adjustments.”