The Giants’ latest injury wave has opened the door for two more Sacramento promotions, and the names that keep rising to the top are Bo Davidson and Nate Furman.
That became even more obvious after Sunday’s loss to Boston, when shortstop Willy Adames exited with an elbow injury following an awkward slide into home. Adames has already been working through a back injury, and given how much the Giants have invested in him, there’s a strong case for simply shutting him down for the rest of the season.
Outfielder Victor Bericoto also left Sunday’s game with a knee injury. The hope is that it is not as serious as first feared, but the safer move would still be an IL stint. At this point, there’s no reason to push players through injuries in a season that has already gone off the rails.
That’s why the Giants should use the moment to keep looking ahead, not backward. Davidson and Furman both fit the bill for immediate call-ups from Triple-A Sacramento.
Davidson has been building toward this for a while, and the bat has kept forcing the issue. He’s hitting .286/.356/.521 with 25 home runs and 80 runs batted in in the minors this season, production that makes a strong case for giving him a real look in the big league outfield.
There are still complications tied to bringing prospects up with a lockout looming, but the Giants may as well get Davidson into the mix for the final month. If that means he can’t play minor league games next year during a lockout, so be it.
Furman is the other obvious choice. The Giants recently sent him down after just eight plate appearances, which was a bit surprising for a contact-driven infielder who seemed ready for more of a chance.
Since returning to Sacramento, he has at least one hit in every game and is now batting .293/.377/.414 with seven homers and 48 runs batted in. He has also drawn 52 walks against 55 strikeouts.
He looks like a better option than Buddy Kennedy, and the Giants could easily slide Osleivis Basabe to shortstop to make room for Furman at second base. If Marcelo Mayer were healthy, he might have been the one to get the call, but an injury setback during his rehab assignment has taken that possibility off the table.
The Giants have spent plenty of this year dealing with the injury fallout. Now, at least, it gives them a chance to see more of the young talent waiting in Sacramento. Adames and Bericoto should go on the IL, and Davidson and Furman should be next up.
In Other News...
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Phams reputation has long been shaped by more than his on-field production, from the 2022 altercation with Joc Pederson to earlier suspensions that made him one of baseballs more combustible personalities. He also had a brief, hitless major league stint with the Mets this season, which only adds to the sense that his career has become defined as much by flashpoints as by baseball. So when Pham starts sparring again, the follow-up is usually less about whether there will be drama and more about where it shows up next. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans May Be Blaming Tony Vitello For The Wrong Problem
Tony Vitellos first season on the Giants bench has arrived with the kind of scrutiny that comes with any new manager, but especially one walking into a roster already carrying obvious flaws. He inherited a club dealing with pitching problems, a pile of injuries and the kind of uneven play that can make nearly every night feel like a referendum on the dugout.
Even so, blaming Vitello for the Giants bigger issues may be missing the point. His track record as a college coach suggests a real ability to develop young players, including some he has worked with before, and that kind of skill could matter as the roster reshapes itself. Buster Posey is expected to take a longer view and evaluate Vitello after his second year, which means the more revealing question may not be whether this season is messy, but whether the organization gives him enough time to show what he can build. [Read more 🡒]