La Stella makes spring debut, but status up in air
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> As one Giants infielder headed for surgery Tuesday, another saw his first game action since having surgery five months ago.
With third baseman Evan Longoria set to miss Opening Day following right index finger surgery, second baseman Tommy La Stella made his Cactus League debut with a bases clearing double in his second trip to the plate.
La Stella's three-run double was one catalyst in the Giants' best offensive showing of the spring, scoring nine runs by the end of the third inning off Padres starter Mike Clevinger — a welcome sight for a team that has struggled to score runs this spring and just learned it would be without two key cogs in its lineup to start the season.
With 10 days until Opening Day, the Giants' projected starting second baseman made his first appearance of the spring, batting second and reaching base twice as their designated hitter. La Stella said he hadn't ruled out the possibility of starting the season on time.
“It's good to be back out there seeing live pitching,” said La Stella, who estimated he was at about 80% of full health. “Today was just about getting that visual of a live pitcher on the mound.”
Side-to-side movements at second base and sprinting on the basepaths are the final hurdles for La Stella, who had surgery in October to remove the sheath of his right Achilles tendon and still feels some residual pain from operation. On Tuesday, he got to put his baserunning to the test, ripping a double onto the warning track in rightcenter field.
La Stella sprinted out of the batter's box and coasted into second base.
“Being in a game, adrenaline kicks in a little bit. So I came out of the box maybe a little harder than I intended to,” La Stella said. “It was good, held up fine.”
RODÓN LIGHTS OUT IN SECOND SPRING OUTING >> Before Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim blooped a ball into right field with two outs in the third inning, the only baserunner San Diego mustered came on one errant pitch that plunked Trayce Thompson.
One batter later, when Giants starter Carlos Rodón had completed his four scheduled innings of work in his second start of the spring, that was all the hard-throwing left-hander had allowed. He finished with a clean pitching line that featured four strikeouts.
“I thought he looked excellent,” Kapler said. “Great command of all his pitches. Again very good carry through the zone. Very efficient.”
NOTABLE >> Joc Pederson slugged the first home run of his Giants tenure and Joey Bart also homered in a five-run third inning . ... Mike Yastrzemski reached base twice, with a single and a walk, and scored from first base each time. But after Yastrzemski crossed the plate on La Stella's double, his right quad tightened up and he was removed for precautionary reasons, Kapler said.