Belt, Hanson may get time in outfield while bench is shorthanded
Brandon Belt and Alen Hanson, meet the outfield.
With Johnny Cueto going on the disabled list, leaving the rotation weakened, the Giants will carry 13 pitchers, which means a four-man bench. They made it happen Wednesday by optioning outfielder Austin Slater to Triple-A Sacramento when they activated reliever Will Smith.
In a perfect world, the Giants would option a reliever Saturday and activate Mac Williamson from the concussion DL, restoring a five-man outfield, but they might not have that luxury.
As long as they play an outfielder short, Belt and Hanson might get time in the outfield, where they have experience.
“We’ll get creative here,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We have the flexibility to do that with Belt and Hanson.”
So where does this leave Hunter Pence? In Sacramento, continuing his rehab assignment for the foreseeable future.
Panik’s goal: Second baseman Joe Panik said he hopes to return in six weeks, the quick end of the normal range for surgery to repair a torn ulnar-collateral thumb ligament. He said the ligament came 100 percent off the bone when the thumb was bent backward as he tagged the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig ona pickoff attempt at second base Friday night.
“I went back to look at the play to see my reaction,” Panik said. “I yelled.”
This was another fluke injury for a player who has missed time in each of the past two years with concussions. So again Panik sits, unhappily.
“For a few years in a row now, to have something happen where there’s nothing you can do about this ...” he said. “The thumb gave out. Obviously, it’s a little frustration. It’s unfortunate. At the same time, there’s a reason for everything and I’m going to continue to work my tail off and be the best version of myself and be back in June.”
Briefly: One of Panik’s replacements, Kelby Tomlinson, made an unusual, instinctive play in the third inning. Right fielder Andrew McCutchen tried and failed to time his leap on an Eric Hosmer flyball at the wall. Two runs scored as the ball shot off the bricks, but Tomlinson had ranged far into the outfield, grabbed the ricochet and threw to Brandon Crawford, who fired to third to get Hosmer and end the inning . ... Derek Holland said he was happy about his first Giants win, but added, “I’ve got to get that ‘touchdown ERA’ down” — not quite six points, but close at 5.70.