WASHINGTON -- A week ago, the Giants had two young starters -- Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison -- pitching out of their bullpen. Now, both 23-year-olds have managed to work their way back into the rotation.
The Giants announced Friday that Harrison will make his first start of the year against the Nationals on Saturday, filling the void that was created by the injury to Justin Verlander, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right pectoral soreness Thursday (retroactive to Monday).
“It’s cool,” Harrison said. “I’m super excited to go out and compete. I’m ready to do it. I’ve been waiting, and now it’s my time. I’m ready to go.”
Harrison’s 2025 rotation debut will come just days after Birdsong supplanted Jordan Hicks in San Francisco’s starting five and earned a win in his first start of the year against the Royals on Tuesday. The Giants will hope to see similar success from Harrison, who recorded a 3.38 ERA over 5 1/3 innings in his four relief appearances after being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on May 5.
Harrison hasn’t thrown more than 38 pitches in a single outing since returning to the big leagues, but he was fully stretched in the Minors, where he logged a 3.46 ERA with 38 strikeouts over 26 innings in his first six starts of the year for the River Cats. Manager Bob Melvin said he believes Harrison could give the Giants around 60 pitches Saturday, then continue to build back up in his next turn through the rotation.
Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, the Giants’ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was also an option to fill in for Verlander, but the club felt Harrison warranted the opportunity to step back into the rotation given the strong body of work he’s compiled this year.
“Kyle got here because he was pitching the best,” Melvin said. “It hadn’t been that long since he started. We just felt like he was next in line for it.”
Harrison went 7-7 with a 4.56 ERA over 24 starts as a rookie last year, but he saw his velocity dip in the second half as he struggled to overcome right ankle and left shoulder injuries. He spent the entire offseason rehabbing from the shoulder issue, but he was hit by another setback when he fell ill and lost around 15 pounds at the beginning of Spring Training this year, which cost him a chance at winning a spot in the Giants’ Opening Day rotation.
Still, Harrison made the most of his return to the Minors, focusing on rebuilding his strength and regaining the zip on his fastball, which is now averaging 95.8 mph, up from 92.5 mph in 2024.
“I’m really proud,” Harrison said. “Especially at the start of spring, losing weight, having the shoulder still kind of lingering and not having it fully behind me -- I’m feeling stronger. I’m feeling confident out there and just ready to give it my shot. I’m really excited. That’s all I can say.”
The Giants replaced Verlander on the 26-man roster by calling up right-hander Tristan Beck from Sacramento on Friday. Beck, 28, posted a 3.24 ERA over 15 relief appearances for the River Cats this year and should be available to cover multiple innings if needed.
Beck missed most of the 2024 campaign while rehabbing from surgery to remove an aneurysm from his upper right arm, but he’s enjoyed an uptick in velocity now that he’s back to full strength this year, with his fastball hitting 96 mph in his recent outings with Sacramento.
“Obviously, coming off surgery last year, I was able to come back at the end of the season there, but it was more just kind of fighting, trying to get outs, focus on helping the team win,” Beck said. “But full offseason under the belt, get in the weight room pretty consistently, get the mechanics fine-tuned -- I feel like that’s really where I’ve been seeing the strides come.”
With Harrison now in the rotation, the Giants will go back to having only one southpaw -- Erik Miller -- in their bullpen, though Melvin noted that right-handers like Randy Rodríguez and Camilo Doval have also been tough on opposing left-handed hitters this year.
“I look at [the Nationals’] lineup today, and they’ve got nine lefties in there, even though a couple of them are switch-hitters,” Melvin said. “I think the other person that’s probably noticed what their lineup card looks like is Erik Miller. I’m sure he’s understanding that he’s probably going to get some work this series.”