SF Giants shake up team with six roster moves before final series

Outfielder Mitch Haniger and infielder J.D. Davis have been shutdown for the remainder of the season for the SF Giants

The SF Giants have shut down a pair of veteran position players, effectively ending their season ahead of the final series of the year against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The organization announced that both Mitch Haniger and J.D. Davis have been placed on the 10-day injured list –– Haniger with a low back strain and Davis with a left shoulder strain.

For Haniger, his rough first season in San Francisco comes to a screeching halt with his second appearance on the injured list –– an errant pitch from St. Louis righty Jack Flaherty fractured his wrist on June 13, resulting in a surgery that kept him out until Aug. 29.

Haniger, 32, inked a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Giants before the season with the expectation of him becoming a significant right-handed power bat to add to their outfield. Aligned with his career norms, Haniger’s injury history once again caught up to him in San Francisco. During his first season with the club, Haniger slashed just .209/.266/.365 in 229 plate appearances with six homers and 28 runs batted in.

Among outfielders with at least 200 plate appearances, Haniger’s 73 wRC+ ranked 11th-worst in the big leagues.

Davis, 30, was the primary third baseman for the Giants and saw his stock rise with a solid first half on both sides of the ball –– production that had All-Star selection written all over it, featuring a .800 OPS while leading the hot corner in numerous defensive metrics. However, he faded away quickly after. Between July and August, Davis produced a .573 OPS and wasn’t making consistent contact with pitches –– especially fastballs –– in the middle of the plate.

Joey Bart, who only appeared in 30 games this season with the big league team, was also optioned to Triple-A.

To fill the void, the Giants activated rookie right-hander Keaton Winn for Friday’s start against the Dodgers. The 25-year-old right-hander has been plagued with COVID-19 the last week and will look to close his strong rookie season out with a bang. In his last outing on Sept. 16 versus the Rockies, Winn allowed three earned runs over four innings while striking out five and walking two at Coors Field.

Luke Jackson was also activated off the paternity list and will likely be fresh enough to appear out of the bullpen in a couple of games over the next few days. In 33 ⅓ innings, Jackson has racked up a 2.97 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 15 walks allowed.

Infielder Casey Schmitt was added to the roster as well and could see some at-bats in Davis’ place at third base before the season ends.