MILWAUKEE -- With Gabe Kapler turning to his bullpen for the middle game against the Brewers Saturday in Milwaukee, the Giants added an extra arm to the arsenal by recalling right-hander Zack Littell from Triple-A Sacramento.

"When you bring in a guy like Zack on a day like today, and know that you can get two innings out of him, it protects the rest of the group," Kapler said.

Littell has appeared in 38 games for the Giants this season -- all but two of those appearances in relief -- and has a 3.44 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 34 innings.

Since being optioned on July 27, Littell made two appearances for the River Cats and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks with a strikeout over two innings.

To make room for Littell on the active roster, outfielder Steven Duggar was optioned to Triple-A in a decision that Kapler admitted wasn't easy.

Duggar was batting .267/.340/.442 with seven home runs and a .783 OPS in 83 games this season, but he was likely to lose playing time now that Brandon Belt, another left-handed hitter, returned from injury.

"With the addition of Kris [Bryant] and some of our left-handed bats returning, it creates fewer opportunities," Kapler said. "So I think that it's a silver lining that he can get some regular reps [at Triple-A]."

Yaz is fine after wall run-in

Mike Yastrzemski was back in the starting lineup Saturday, showing no lingering after-effects from crashing into the center-field wall on Friday.

Yastrzemski had missed the Giants' two previous games because of a sore hamstring. He returned to action in the series opener, going 1-for-4 at the plate and making the play of the night when he robbed Rowdy Tellez of a home run.

Yastrzemski charged and leapt right into the wall to make the grab and then hit the ground, where he remained for a few moments before playing the rest of the game without issue.

"It was jarring for him and he may have had the wind knocked out of him, but nothing that's concerning long term," Kapler said. "He's an intense baseball player and an intense competitor, so we have to find ways to get him off his feet, but today was not that day."

Last call

• Kapler wasn't sure if Kevin Gausman would return from paternity leave in time for Sunday's series finale.

• Evan Longoria went 0-for-3 with a walk in his second rehab game with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday and is expected to be in the lineup again Saturday before getting a break Sunday.

• Reyes Moronta pitched in a second consecutive game for the first time in his Minor League rehab assignment Saturday as he continues working his way back from a right flexor strain suffered back in April.

"His velocities have been [there] and that's promising because he was a pretty effective reliever for us without his best stuff earlier in the year," Kapler said.