The Giants positioned backup catcher Tom Murphy on the injured record because of a knee sprain over the weekend however didn’t present a timetable for his return, because the veteran was headed for an MRI to find out the severity of the harm. Skipper Bob Melvin introduced to the Giants beat at the moment that imaging revealed a Grade 1 to 2 sprain. Murphy gained’t require surgical procedure however is anticipated to be out of motion for not less than 4 to 6 weeks (X hyperlink by way of Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic).
The comparatively prolonged absence for Murphy comes at a time when the Giants are additionally with out beginning catcher Patrick Bailey, who’s on the injured record because of ongoing concussion signs. San Francisco traded former No. 2 general decide Joey Bart to the Pirates early this season as a result of he was out of minor league choices and the group didn’t wish to carry three catchers in the long run. Since that swap, each catchers forward of him on the depth chart have gone down with accidents. The result’s a catching corps consisting of former Rule 5 decide Blake Sabol and just lately promoted journeyman Jakson Reetz (who homered in his first recreation with the Giants yesterday).
Murphy, 33, has gotten out to a dismal .118/.211/.235 begin after signing a two-year, $8.3MM deal over the winter. That’s are available in a pattern of simply 38 plate appearances, nonetheless, far too small to glean significant conclusions. In 807 plate appearances with Seattle from 2019-23, Murphy batted .250/.324/.460 with 38 house runs. He was significantly harmful in opposition to left-handed opponents, bashing them at a .287/.379/.539 clip.
With each Bailey and Murphy on the shelf and Bart now in Pittsburgh, the Giants’ catching depth has rapidly dried up. Sabol is in line for the lion’s share of enjoying time, however he hit simply .235/.301/.394 final season with a 34% strikeout fee. He was hitting .243/.378/.324 in Triple-A Sacramento this season, once more exhibiting worrying contact points (30.8% strikeout fee). Reetz appeared in 15 video games with Sacramento previous to his call-up and batted .217/.357/.435 in 57 plate appearances. Yesterday’s house run got here in his first huge league at-bat since 2021 — simply the third MLB plate look of his profession. Reetz is a profession .234/.328/.478 hitter in elements of 4 Triple-A seasons.
It’s not a fantastic replace for the Giants, however Murphy averted a worst-case situation that’d have sidelined him for a for much longer interval. The Giants additionally offered a small replace on reigning Cy Younger winner Blake Snell on Monday, with Melvin telling the group’s beat that the lefty pitched a bullpen session with out difficulty and is slated to pitch three innings in a simulated recreation in opposition to stay hitters tomorrow (X hyperlink by way of Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle). Snell, who was rocked for an 11.57 ERA via his first three begins, hit the 15-day IL because of an adductor pressure final week.
