SAN FRANCISCO -- Though the Minor League season has barely begun, the conviction is growing that infielder Christian Arroyo will join the Giants sooner rather than later.
Arroyo entered Triple-A Sacramento's game Friday night against Salt Lake City as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and went 3-for-3, lifting his overall batting average to .467 through eight games. Though that's a small sample size, the Giants have noticed Arroyo's productivity.
"It's good for him to get off to a fast start in Triple-A," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Arroyo, the franchise's first-round selection in the 2013 Draft. "First time in Triple-A, you're battling the unknown -- how good is the pitching going to be, can I handle this? I don't think any self-doubt ever creeped into this guy's head."
Finding a position for Arroyo could be a challenge for the Giants. The 21-year-old has divided his time between second base and shortstop, where Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford are entrenched.
Nevertheless, Bochy said, "For us, it gives us a sense of confidence that the kid's knocking on the door. If anything happens, we'll have somebody ready."
Worth noting
• Catcher Buster Posey (concussion) continued to show signs of recovery, and he remains expected to accompany the team to Kansas City for its two-game series beginning on Tuesday. "He felt great and looked great. All's going well for Buster," Bochy said, noting that Posey increased his running activity. "We'll push him a little bit more [Sunday]."
• Despite Monday's scheduled off-day, Bochy confirmed that the Giants will do what they almost always do by sticking with the pitching sequence in their starting rotation. No. 5 starter Player Page for Matt Cain will take his usual turn on the mound Tuesday, and he won't be skipped just so Madison Bumgarner can move up a day.