Giants notes: How Bob Melvin’s managing rotation options during MLB playoff push originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Before Sunday’s game, Giants manager Bob Melvin said they’re “TBA” for Tuesday’s matchup at Chase Field. During the ensuing blowout loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Melvin tried to make sure he will at least have a few more options.
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Spencer Bivens, one of several long reliever types in the bullpen, was limited to one inning Sunday and JT Brubaker was pulled after two. On Saturday, Tristan Beck was pulled after two innings in a lopsided game. Melvin said the staff tried to save some arms so they can possibly come back to help out Monday or Tuesday, but they also don’t know what kind of length they’ll receive from rookie Kai-Wei Teng in the opener at Chase Field.
“It all depends on how much we get out of Teng tomorrow,” Melvin said of the plan for the next couple of days.
It’s not a comfortable place to be this time of year, but reinforcements might be on the way. Lefty Carson Whisenhunt will make a rehab start for the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday and could return from his back strain after that. Whisenhunt could be an option next Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
If the Giants can survive that series and sneak into the playoffs, they could at some point get another big boost. Landen Roupp, their No. 3 starter for most of the year, threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday and has not been ruled out if the team makes the postseason.
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When Roupp hurt his knee in San Diego last month, it looked like the Giants would be eliminated long before he could face hitters. But Roupp’s rehab has gone well and the team climbed back in the race, giving him a chance to return in October. Melvin said the plan all along was for Roupp to at least throw a bullpen session before the end of the season.
“We wanted him to get on the mound and feel good about himself going forward,” Melvin said. “If there’s more time (in October), we’ll see where it goes … first and foremost (this was about) him getting on the mound and feeling good after what he has been through.”
If Roupp does return, it likely would be as a reliever. But right now, the Giants will take anything they can get. The pitching staff gave up 23 runs over the final two games against the Dodgers, and the next week won’t be any easier. They have three at Chase Field before four more against the Dodgers, who seem to have finally flipped the switch offensively.
Help For The ‘Pen, Too?
Lefty Erik Miller threw a fastball-only bullpen session over the weekend and came out of it well. The plan is to throw a couple more bullpen sessions this week and then see where he’s at. A lot of this will also depend on where the Giants stand as he continues to rehab.
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The hope is that the lefty can be back on the field at the very end of the season or in October, but given how much time he has missed with an elbow sprain, the Giants won’t push it if Miller isn’t needed. Miller hasn’t pitched in a big league game since July 2 but had a 1.50 ERA before going down.
More Bad Luck
Under Farhan Zaidi, the Giants took two-way players in back-to-back drafts. While Bryce Eldridge will make his MLB debut this week, the other one continues to struggle with bad injury luck in his own bid to reach the big leagues.
Left-hander Reggie Crawford had a second shoulder surgery recently, per team sources, pushing his return to the mound back to next summer. Crawford had labrum surgery last September and had been doing well in his rehab, but another issue popped up after he started throwing off a bullpen mound.
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The Giants took Crawford with the 30th overall pick in the 2022 draft and initially let him compete both ways. They ultimately settled on pitching and he made 14 appearances in Double-A and Triple-A last season before undergoing the first shoulder procedure.
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