But the Giants’ usage of their 21-year-old slugger — or more so lack thereof — has instead been one of the stickiest situations since he was called up on May 3. During Tuesday’s showdown with Kyle Harrison, the left-handed starter San Francisco traded for Rafael Devers last summer, Eldridge again found himself on the bench — a move that instantly incensed Giants fans and local sports talk radio stations. Even Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow joined the chorus of detractors, saying he was “totally disappointed” to not see Eldridge start in one of his weekly interviews on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” morning show.

“I don’t want that guy to miss an at-bat,” Krukow said. “We’re watching this guy blossom, and we’re watching this guy really start to establish himself. I talk about presence of a hitter, when he gets into the batter’s box, he’s got it. If you’re pitching against Eldridge right now, you’re feeling him. That’s just confidence because he knows he can hit here. When he’s not in the lineup, I’m disappointed.”

In May, Eldridge was only starting every other game and was rarely used even as a pinch hitter. (He was also benched when he did well, like after hitting his first career homer.) Buster Posey, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, didn’t help matters when he said the team was deciding on Eldridge’s usage on a “day-by-day” basis in an interview two weeks ago.

The lack of consistent playing time was also criticized by ESPN analyst Buster Olney in an interview on 95.7 The Game on Tuesday, when he said it was “kind of incomprehensible.”

“That makes no sense to me, the way they handled it at the beginning,” Olney said. “As you guys, I’m sure, have said a thousand times, if you’re gonna call up a top prospect, you want him to play. And if you’re not gonna play him, then he should stay in the minor leagues.”

Things appeared to have finally changed in the last two weeks, as Eldridge had started the last seven games in a row and nine of the last 10. He also started to produce at the plate, going 10-for-30 with a homer and six doubles in those 10 games. Even several of his outs had turned into well-struck balls.

But then Tuesday’s lineup came out sans Eldridge, with right-handed hitting journeyman Buddy Kennedy starting at DH instead. The Giants’ explanation, according to the beat writers, was that they were facing a left-handed pitcher, so both Eldridge and Jung Hoo Lee were given a day off. Eldridge, though, has actually performed slightly better against left-handed pitchers (.911 OPS) than against right-handers (.900) in the minors this season. It’s hard to say if those numbers would’ve held in the big leagues since Eldridge has only been given 10 plate appearances against lefties, going 2-for-9 with a walk.

Eldridge was used as a pinch hitter on Tuesday night in the eighth against a Milwaukee reliever. The slugger knocked in a run with a single, bringing his batting average to a season-high .254. But the Giants lost 8-3 as their former top pitching prospect Harrison tied his career high with 12 strikeouts (including punching out Devers all three times they squared off).

With the loss, San Francisco dropped to a season-low 15 games under .500.