Duggar’s callup may help unsettled outfield defense

Dereck Rodriguez figured to be sent down after throwing 45 pitches in Sunday’s 153 loss to the A’s, and the logical move seemed to be adding a fresh arm after the Giants used seven relievers plus catcher Tyler

Heineman for a combined eight innings Saturday and Sunday.

Instead, when the Giants optioned Rodriguez to the alternate camp and added him taxi squad, they recalled outfielder Steven Duggar, reflecting Austin Slater’s continuing inability to play the field with a sprained elbow.

“It is to some degree,” manager Gabe Kapler said before Monday’s game in Anaheim. “We are definitely taking Slater day by day. He may not be ready to play defense for us. For that reason Duggar’s on the roster and gives another option to play defense late in games and potentially start in the outfield for us.”

The need for that was evident Saturday night when Hunter Pence misjudged a Tony Kemp flyball into a double, contributing to the Giants’ and

Trevor Gott’s second ninthinning collapse in two days.

Singling out Pence on a team with so many defensive holes might seem unfair, especially since circumstances might be forcing Kapler to give Pence more outfield innings than the organization had envisioned.

“It’s not about one person,” Kapler said. “This is not an indictment on any one individual. It was an opportunity to upgrade our outfield defense on the bench.”

However, there is a broader issue. With Jaylin Davis in Sacramento trying to make more consistent contact, Joe

McCarthy there after an 0for10 start to his bigleague season, Mauricio Dubon still learning center and Slater not available, the outfield defense has become more tenuous than anyone had expected.

That’s true for the Giants even knowing from the start they would have to sacrifice defense in some spots, such as the outfield corners, to build the platoonbased lineup they felt compelled to create.

On Monday, that resulted in the Giants adding an outfielder when pitching might have been a bigger need ahead of two games featuring their fourth and fifth starters, Tyler An

derson (who has built some length) and Trevor Cahill (who hasn’t).

Kapler said he has enough coverage and rattled off a long list of relievers available Monday, even if he had no true long man.

At some point, management might have to ponder whether a team playing as badly afield as the Giants have can afford two players, Pence and Pablo San

doval, who profile better as a

DH.

Both have struggled to hit, but Pence showed his potential value by hitting a pair of threerun homers in a span of eight atbats last week, and Sandoval started lifting the ball over the weekend in a way that suggests he might be ready to contribute as well.

Briefly: Duggar was driving from Sacramento to Anaheim and expected to arrive just before first pitch . ... The Giants are hoping Jeff Samardzija (rotatorcuff inflammation) can begin a throwing program Wednesday. His return date is uncertain . ... Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Heineman was the first Giant to catch and pitch in the same game since 1904 (Frank Bowerman).