Holland is proving naysayers wrong

CINCINNATI — The Giants’ rotation was to feature Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, and has gotten a boost from rookies Dereck Rodriguez and Andrew Suarez.

Yet the staff leader in starts (23), innings (1291⁄3) and strikeouts (132) was signed to a minor-league contract in February and posted a 6.20 ERA with the White Sox last season.

“There were a lot of people who said I was done, I don’t have it, telling me how bad I was,” said Derek Holland, who’ll start Monday’s series opener in New York. “I loved reading it. I love when people try to tell me I can’t do something because I’m going to try to do anything to show I can.”

Holland, 31, has been a valuable asset amid all the injuries, both on the field and off, helping to lighten the mood in the clubhouse and being a calming influence on young pitchers. He was a starter the first three months, moved to the bullpen for part of July (when Cueto and Samardzija were activated) and returned to the rotation to post a 2.96 ERA in his past five starts.

Holland was a fixture in the Rangers’ rotation before knee and shoulder injuries limited him from 2014 to 2016. Last year in Chicago, he showed he was healthy, but struggled in the second half, and now he’s both healthy and effective.

Holland attributed his comeback to his personal trainer (Sam Mulroy), his “mind guy” (Don Kalkstein, a sports psychologist who has worked for the Rangers and Mavericks) and the Giants’ pitching coaches ( Curt Young and Matt Herges).

“I feel everything they’ve continued to push toward me has made me better,” Holland said. “Now I’m having probably one of the best seasons of my career.”

Holland is 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA and is coming off 42⁄3 scoreless innings in Los Angeles. Briefly: Chase d’Arnaud was the fifth position player to appear as a pitcher in the team’s San Francisco history, following Matty Alou, Dave Kingman, Greg Litton and Pablo Sandoval . ... Brandon Belt was the Giants’ first first baseman to start at leadoff since David Bell on July 6, 2002. Will Clark led off 28 times, all in 1986 and 1987, most by a San Francisco first baseman . ... Billy Hamilton had two triples, one left-handed off Ray Black and one right-handed off Ty Blach . ... The Giants gave up seven third-inning runs, the most in any inning this year.