The SF Giants said they planned to get Zach Morgan back before the season ended, but the final weekend came and went without the rookie catcher being recalled.
That left a frustrating finish for Giants fans, especially with Morgan’s Northern California ties. He already had family and friends close enough to make his first game feel like a built-in event, but the opportunity never arrived.
The Giants had chances to make it happen. When they ran short on catching in August, Morgan was called up for the first time. That stay was over almost immediately, though, as he was optioned back to Triple-A one day later to make room for Andrew Knizner.
Morgan got another shot when rosters expanded in September. He returned as the emergency catcher, but that role only matters if an emergency actually shows up. In this case, it never did.
In all, Morgan spent about 10 days on the active roster in 2026 and never appeared in a game. For a Giants team that was not in the race, that made the situation even harder to explain.
This is one area where Tony Vitello will need to improve next season. A manager has to keep the whole roster involved, and that starts with giving players clear roles.
More than once, a player went days without an at-bat, which makes it tough to stay locked in when the next chance is so unclear.
There were openings late in the year, too. The final weekend especially stood out, because it is usually easy to move a player to the injured list without much risk or consequence. By then, just about everyone is dealing with some combination of a scrape, a cut, or general fatigue.
Landen Roupp is one example. He made his final appearance of the season on September 14, and the Giants said in the final week that he had been shut down for the year. That could have created a path for Morgan to return, but it never happened.
Instead, Morgan now looks like part of the offseason roster crunch. The Giants have 17 players on the 60-day injured list who will need to be addressed, either by activation or by waivers.
They also have five catchers on the 40-man roster. There should be plenty of movement when the offseason opens.
It is just a shame they could not find a way to get Morgan into a game.
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