Giants place catcher Casali on concussion IL, newcomer Paperiski to start vs. Padres

SAN FRANCISCO » The Giants will be without hot-hitting Curt Casali for at least a week after the catcher was placed on the sevenday concussion injury list Saturday.

Taking his place against the San Diego Padres won’t be Joey Bart, but Michael Papierski, who was acquired a week ago from the Houston Astros organization in exchange for infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon.

Papierski, 26, was hitting .100 (1-for-10) in three games with the Triple-A Sacramento RiverCats and before that .211 with Sugar Land of the Pacific Coast League.

From the sound of it, anything the Giants get from Paperski offensively against the Padres’ Joe Musgrove will be a bonus.

“If we get some offensive production out of him it would be fantastic, but what we’re most confident in is his ability to block and frame and be a good defensive addition for us,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

Casali went in to Friday night’s game hitting .391 with three home runs and nine RBIs in nine previous games, including the second two-homer game of his career. The hot streak was leading to more starting opportunities at the expense of the slumping Bart, who is hitting .113 (6-for-53) over his last 18 games with 29 strikeouts.

Kapler said Bart was “a little tight” Saturday after going in for Casali Friday night. Bart, however, is available to play and it gave the Giants an opportunity to put Papierski into the mix right away.

“He’s prepared for this moment his entire life,” Kapler said. “That’s what baseball players do. But sometimes you can take the edge off and some of the anxiety and there’s some added adrenaline when you know you’re going to be in the lineup. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

Papierski, who played at LSU, was on the Astros’ taxi squad last season and although not eligible to play, was on the Houston bench through the entirety of its playoff run. He had never been to San Francisco or set foot in Oracle Park until Saturday. In the offseason, Papierski trains at the facility owned by former Giant Ryan Theriot.

“I don’t know much, I’ll be honest,” Papierski said. “I was with the Astros (organization) for five years. It’s all new to me. Just trying ot take everything in. Just grateful for the opportunity.”

As for Bart, Kapler said the Giants remain solidly behind their No. 2 overall draft pick.

“Our goal is to get Joey back on track offensively,” Kapler said. “We think he has all the talent in the world. One of the most powerful swings on our roster, fully acknowledging that we need to help him not swing and miss so much. He was in the cage earlier today. He’s been excellent with his work ethic all the way through this challenging time for him.”