Williamson back in saddle
Giants manager Bruce Bochy doesn’t give up on players easily or quickly. A five-strikeout day doesn’t automatically necessitate a benching. Just like a multiple-home run day doesn’t always guarantee a spot in the lineup the next day. Mac Williamson struck out five times Thursday and was in Friday’s lineup for the GiantsDiamondbacks opener, in which he struck out three more times.
“You’ve got to stay behind these guys and give them their best chance to succeed,” Bochy said. “Sometimes sitting a guy after a rough day like that, now you’re thinking about it more. Let’s get right back on it, back in the saddle, so to speak, and let’s go.
“I mean, we’re big boys here. We’re going to have tough days. You’ve got to come out and show resilience and hopefully get it turned around. I’m giving him that chance.”
Williamson is the fifth Giant in history with five strikeouts in one game, and his 1-for-23 funk entering Friday dropped his average to .128. When the Giants promoted him from Triple-A Sacramento, where he was hitting .378, management said Williamson was going to get a long look.
Friday, he suited up for his 15th game, the second most among the whopping nine left fielders the Giants have used this season. Gerardo Parra, who ranks first, was designated for assignment and signed with the Nationals. Another Giants outfielder,
Aaron Altherr, stuck around for all of one at-bat and never played an inning of defense. Friday, he joined the Mets and homered in his first at-bat.
Williamson is out of minorleague options, so he would need to be exposed to waivers and could become a free agent if taken off the roster.
Briefly:
Catcher Buster Posey was out of the lineup, and Bochy called it a scheduled day off. Posey started behind the plate in all four games of the Braves series and caught all 13 innings Thursday . ... Brandon Crawford rested a second straight day with conjunctivitis (pink eye). Bochy said the shortstop is expected to play Saturday. John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer.