LOS ANGELES -- Last week, the Giants tried to jolt their struggling roster by calling up two of their top prospects -- first baseman Bryce Eldridge and catcher Jesus Rodriguez -- from Triple-A Sacramento.
The Giants cleared the way for Rodriguez to get everyday opportunities behind the plate by trading Patrick Bailey to the Guardians on Saturday, but figuring out a path to regular playing time for Eldridge has proved to be much more challenging.
With Rafael Devers heating up and Casey Schmitt emerging as San Francisco’s most consistent bat, the Giants have had trouble getting Eldridge consistent reps at first base and designated hitter as of late.
Eldridge, San Francisco’s No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made three straight starts for the Giants after being promoted on May 4, but he was out of the lineup in three of the club’s next four games, including two straight after slugging his first MLB home run against the Pirates on Saturday.
The 6-foot-7 slugger was back at first base against Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday, but finding a steady flow of at-bats for him will be a delicate balance for rookie manager Tony Vitello. The Giants had Devers at DH and Schmitt at third base on Tuesday, leaving five-time Gold Glover Matt Chapman on the bench amid his 3-for-39 (.077) slump over his last 10 games.
“As much of a threat as Bryce is, our biggest threat in the lineup is Rafi,” Vitello said. “Our best producer so far has been Casey. It does make it that triangle of bodies there. It does make it a little bit of a puzzle to solve.”
Eldridge, 21, entered Tuesday 2-for-14 over his first 16 plate appearances for the Giants this year, but he’s viewed as one of the most promising hitting prospects in the Majors and will need to play regularly to keep developing at the big league level.
The complicating factor is that the Giants’ four starting-infield spots are seemingly already spoken for, which is where it gets tricky for Vitello.
Devers is under contract through 2033 and has gotten most of his starts at first base this year. San Francisco committed a combined $333 million to Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames, who are expected to lock down the left side of the infield through the end of the decade. Luis Arraez signed a one-year, $12 million deal over the offseason because he wanted to return to second base and has established himself as the Giants’ most valuable player early this year, posting a team-high 1.3 WAR, according to FanGraphs.
Schmitt, meanwhile, has settled in as the primary DH after leading the club with six home runs and an .864 OPS over his first 34 games of the year.
Where does that leave Eldridge?
When asked to define Eldridge’s role, Vitello described him as “a threat” and noted that it would be a “painful pill to swallow” if the Giants’ prized rookie was forced to sit for three consecutive games. Eldridge should get opportunities to take the field when the Giants decide to give one of their veteran infielders a day off, but Vitello suggested that Eldridge could get a large chunk of his at-bats as a pinch-hitter for now.
“I’m hopeful it would be almost every game that he would get at least one at-bat,” Vitello said. “That isn't how Barry Bonds got in a rhythm every day, but I do think that is consistent enough appearances, preparation, things like that, and seeing live pitching to where he can stay in the necessary rhythm to do what he's capable of.”
If the Giants fall further out of contention, they could entertain trading Arraez to open up an infield spot for Schmitt and create more first base/DH opportunities for Eldridge down the line.
Eldridge might not get a chance to play every day until the Giants resolve their infield logjam, but Vitello said the club still wants to have him around and give him chances to contribute.
“To me, he's here to boost the offense,” Vitello said. “He's here in the long run.”