VETS RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO PREPARE
Several players including Belt and Gausman have yet to make debuts
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> Three weeks from now, the Giants will be traveling to Seattle for their season-opening series against the Mariners.
That doesn’t leave much time left for players to prepare, but a number of Giants have already proven they’re healthy, strong and ready to begin the grind of a 162game season. Several others, including a few prominent names such as Kevin Gausman and Brandon Belt, have yet to make their Cactus League debuts for a variety of reasons.
We looked at the Giants who haven’t appeared in a game yet and ranked the level of concern over their ability to be ready for the regular season from mild-to-intermediate-to-high.
Kevin Gausman
It’s unclear why the Giants haven’t sent Gausman to the mound in a spring training game yet, but manager Gabe Kapler has offered encouraging reports from his recent bullpens and live batting practices. Gausman, a potential Opening Day starter candidate, threw one inning of a live batting practice against Austin Slater and Marco Luciano on a back field at Scottsdale Stadium Monday and appeared to be mixing speeds with his fastball and splitter quite well.
“Gausman had a nice changeup working,” Kapler said. “The command was really strong as you’d
expect.”
Concern level: Mild—All indications are that Gausman will be ready for Opening Day.
Brandon Belt
Belt only recently started baseball activities and has yet to participate in a full workout due to a bout with a non-COVID-illness. Neither Belt nor the Giants have detailed the extent of his illness, but Kapler indicated Monday that it would be at least a few days before the coaching staff would think about having the first baseman join the rest of his teammates in morning drills.
“With respect to Belt, I am probably for awhile going to say he’s getting a little bit better every day,” Kapler said. “That’s the most direct way to say it.”
Concern level: High — Aside from needing to prove he’s completely recovered from offseason heel surgery, Belt hasn’t had the chance to have a high-intensity workout due to his recent illness and isn’t on track to play in a game anytime soon. It may not take Belt long to re-acclimate to facing live pitching, but until he has that opportunity, concern will about his availability will linger.
Aaron Sanchez
Sanchez arrived a few days after his peers in Scottsdale as he signed a oneyear, $4 million deal right after pitchers and catchers reported to Arizona. The right-hander has yet to appear in a game, but Kapler said he will throw a live batting practice on Tuesday and the Giants are eager to see how he’ll perform.
After Sanchez missed all of 2020 while recovering from shoulder surgery, there’s probably some concerns about how he’ll hold up over the course of a 162game season.
Concern level: Mild to intermediate —The Giants may have Sanchez on a similar progression to Gausman, who doesn’t appear to be working through any injury issues or tweaks that would keep him out of games. But because Sanchez missed last year while recovering from surgery, there’s some pause in evaluating his status for Opening Day.
Scott Kazmir
Like Sanchez, Kazmir also signed with the Giants after pitchers and catchers first reported. Unlike Sanchez, Kazmir actually pitched competitively last summer, although he didn’t do so in the majors.
The veteran lefty was a participant in the Constellation Energy League, a pop-up independent league in Texas that helped fuel his desire for a major league comeback. Kazmir’s comeback story would be particularly impressive if he makes the Opening Day roster, but he doesn’t sound opposed to proving he’s ready at the Giants’ alternate site or Triple-A Sacramento.
He fared well in a live batting practice session Monday.
“Kaz really ripped his changeup well,” Kapler said. “That’s a pitch we’re all really familiar with over the years and it really looked like vintage Kaz so it was super encouraging.”
Concern level: Mild — How long does a 37-yearold who hasn’t pitched in the majors in four seasons need to prepare? It seems as if the Giants will work Kazmir into a game soon and there’s slightly less concern about his status than Sanchez, who has simply been less visible to reporters since arriving in Giants camp.
Reyes Moronta
Moronta missed the entire 2020 season while recovering from shoulder surgery and may have cost himself an opportunity to return late in the season because he wasn’t in great physical condition when his arm healthy again.
It appears the Giants still have concerns about Moronta’s conditioning and aren’t thrilled with what they’ve seen from the right-hander in early bullpen sessions.
Concern level: Intermediate to high — Moronta clearly has a lot to prove and little time left to make a case to the Giants.
The others
— Right-handed pitchers Tyler Beede and John Brebbia are both on the 60-day injured list as they recover from Tommy John surgery and aren’t eligible to pitch in spring training games. Outfielder Alexander Canario is also on the 60-day injured list as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
— Álvarez signed with the Giants over the weekend, but said he was throwing bullpens and facing hitters at home and won’t need long to prepare for the regular season. Kapler indicated the Giants have little doubt the left-handed reliever will be ready to go.
— Prospects Tristan Beck, Sean Hjelle, Matt Frisbee and Gregory Santos continue to throw bullpens, but it’s unclear if the Giants will have any member of the quartet pitch in Cactus League games as they have a huge list of arms who need to prepare for the start of the major league season.
— Evan Longoria continues to work as a designated hitter due to a plantar fasciitis issue and there’s no timetable for him to play the infield. Any concerns are mild because Longoria has proven he can play through the pain in the past and Kapler said the Giants don’t need him standing around during spring training games to simulate the reps he’ll need to be ready to play third base.