After a precision pitching performance, can Trevor McDonald stick with San Francisco?

Slotted into the rotation as a quick call-up, the righthander delivered a dominant performance to help break the Giants' six-game losing streak

May 4, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald (72) pitches the ball in his major league debut during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

On a night where the excitement over Bryce Eldridge's 2026 debut dominated the pregame headlines, it was a last-second pitcher who stole the spotlight for San Francisco. While the Giants number-one prospect went 0 for 2 on the night, one of his call-up counterparts, righthanded pitcher Trevor McDonald, proved the team's instinct to improvise was correct.

McDonald pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out eight in the Giants' 3-2 win over division rival San Diego on Monday. The win snapped the club's six-game losing streak, following back-to-back sweeps in road series vs. the Phillies and Marlins.

What a showing from Trevor McDonald 👀 pic.twitter.com/R5zuCmpU6n

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 5, 2026

McDonald threw 60 strikes among his 81 pitches in one of the most efficient starts the club has seen all season. At the plate, Casey Schmitt hit a solo homer in the first, and Rafael Devers drove in two runs to fill out the San Francisco scoreboard. With the victory, the Giants improved to 14-21 and climbed out of last place in the National League West; they're now a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies.

Where does McDonald fit with the Giants?

Sep 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald (72) between pitches acolytes during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Now? Following that outstanding outing, the biggest question in the aftermath of his audition is: Should Trevor McDonald be inserted into the team's starting rotation immediately? Because, in the grand scheme of things, the Giants need something - anything - to send a charge through this team. Perhaps they accidentally stumbled across at least one of those sparks on Monday night.

“Regardless of what the immediate future holds, I think in the distant future, the long term, obviously, he’s going to get the ball in his hand again in a vital situation,” Giants first-year manager Tony Vitello said, adding that all options were on the table for McDonald or any other pitcher on the staff. "If you’re not a starter, you could be that guy who closes for us."