SAN FRANCISCO — When asked in recent weeks about his workload, Landen Roupp has always had the same answer.
The 26-year-old intends to be ready to pitch for the Giants in October, and he has certainly done his part to keep them in the playoff race.
That was put on hold Friday when Roupp went on the IL with right elbow inflammation, but an MRI showed no structural damage and both Roupp and manager Bob Melvin said the goal is to get the team’s third-best starter back when he is eligible to come off the IL. That would mean missing just two starts, although with any elbow discomfort, there is going to be some uncertainty about the true timetable.
For now, the Giants and Roupp are optimistic that the discomfort was caught in time.
Roupp said he first felt some tightness after his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the last homestand. There was additional tightness in Atlanta on Tuesday, leading Melvin to pull Roupp after five shutout innings even though he was only at 87 pitches.
“We think it’s pretty minor,” Melvin told reporters on Friday. “I think we caught it at the right time. We were kind of considering maybe just skipping him a turn, but with the IL being 15 days, it basically comes down to two starts. We’re hopeful that he’s going to be able to come back out after that.”
The Giants already had a gap in their rotation after optioning Hayden Birdsong to Triple-A on Tuesday, a day after he failed to record an out and walked four in the first inning. The first opening will arrive Sunday, and the plan is to go with a bullpen game in place of Birdsong, at least for this turn. Roupp is likely to be replaced by another young starter, and the Giants have several options.
Carson Seymour is already up in the big leagues and available out of the bullpen, and he is stretched out enough to make a start.
Carson Whisenhunt will also be an option, and that would turn into a highly-anticipated event. The lefty is the organization’s best pitching prospect.
The Giants are also considering Kai-Wei Teng, who struggled in four appearances last year and was taken off the 40-man roster in the offseason. Teng has been the best of the Triple-A pitchers in recent weeks and has 82 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings this season.
When the Birdsong and Roupp spots come back around a second time, it’s possible the Giants have an additional option or two. Rotation depth stands out as their biggest need ahead of the deadline, which is Thursday afternoon.
The staff is confident that Birdsong will figure out his command issues and there is hope with Roupp’s elbow, but both pitchers also face uncertainty. Birdsong’s last start was jarring, and elbow discomfort is never to be taken lightly. Another spot in the rotation is held by Justin Verlander, who just picked up his first win but also has a 4.70 ERA.
“Look, it feels like every team goes through it, and sometimes when it rains it pours a little bit,” Melvin added. “We do have some guys we like in Triple-A as far as the depth goes, so we’ll see where that goes — and we’ll see what the deadline brings.”
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