Two-way player Guzmán exits appearance with arm injury
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — One of the best stories in the San Francisco Giants’ camp has been the emergence of Ronald Guzmán, the two-way player with 246 big league games to his name as a hitter and designs on appearing in the majors as a pitcher.
Guzmán, 28, was well on his way — until an unfortunate mishap Sunday at Scottsdale Stadium, where the lefty was injured on a pitch that sailed to the backstop. He later said he felt something in his forearm.
Guzmán bent over and slowly walked toward the infield dirt at shortstop before a trainer and manager Gabe Kapler arrived and escorted him to the dugout along the first-base line.
“Disappointing because he had opened up a lot of eyes,” Kapler said. “I don’t want to go too far that this is a serious injury because I don’t know, but anytime you see a pitcher walk off the field like that, you get the impression something’s not right.”
Guzmán was coming off a splendid outing in which he struck out all three of his batters, the final one on a 98 mph fastball. Sunday, however, he was wild and walked his first two Oakland Athletics batters. He got hurt facing his fourth batter.
Before the injury, the coaching staff was thinking Guzmán’s ineffectiveness could serve as a learning experience for someone who’s new to pitching. But the injury put his pitching career on hold for now.
Three catchers? Blake Sabol, a lefty-hitting catcher, has been so impressive, going 9-for-17 with three homers and three doubles, that he has emerged as a realistic candidate to make the seasonopening roster.
Sunday, Kapler said the Giants wouldn’t rule out keeping three catchers because of what Sabol offers: speed and the ability to play the outfield and first base. Saturday he went 3-for-3 with two walks, a homer, a bunt single and a steal.
That outfielder Mitch Haniger is shut down five to seven days with an oblique strain and his availability for Opening Day is questionable brings additional attention to Sabol.
“The position I play, when you see my stature, you wouldn’t think of me as a guy who runs,” said Sabol, who’s listed at 6foot-4 and 225 pounds. “But that’s always been part of my game.”
Papa Ross returns: Ross Stripling pitched for the first time in a week, having left the team to be with his wife, Shelby, who gave birth to a son named Brodie.
Stripling struck out six batters with zero walks in 3 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He had some extra motivation: “My wife put him in a little baseball onesie and sent me a picture. She’s, like, ‘He’s rooting you on.’ ”
A day after Alex Cobb took a hard liner off the inside of his left knee, forcing him from the game, Stripling got a scare with a wicked one-hopper but was able to deflect it with his glove.
Another pitcher, Tristan Beck, left Sunday’s game after getting drilled on his ankle but seemed fine afterward.
Briefly: Austin Slater (elbow) got into his first game and went 0-for-3 with a walk as the designated hitter. He has been throwing beyond 100 feet and will play the outfield once he’s fully comfortable making throws. … Third baseman David Villar (hip) will remain shelved for at least a couple more days. … Wilmer Flores hit his first homer; Thairo Estrada tripled and doubled.