SF Giants beef up batting order ahead of Coors Field visit: ‘It does feel a little bit different’

DENVER — On a whiteboard in his office, Giants manager Gabe Kapler maps out his team’s lineups for the coming week. It’s typically pretty routine, but for a few days, he couldn’t take his eyes off the order unveiled Tuesday night for their series opener against the Colorado Rockies.

“The lineup just looks especially deep today,” Kapler said pregame.

It was a day to look forward to as soon as it became clear that Thairo Estrada and Joc Pederson would be ready to be activated from the injured list. Both players were back in there as expected, in slots that signify their importance to San Francisco’s lineup: Estrada second, Pederson third. Michael Conforto’s presence in the five spot was an added bonus, after sitting out their weekend series with a bruised heel.

It was enough to make a stoic skipper smile.

“Estrada’s back, Joc’s back, Michael’s back at full strength,” Kapler said, noting that Conforto was still dealing with some discomfort. “It feels like we’re going to be a pretty full group today. So it does feel a little bit different.”

In a pair of corresponding moves, utility man Brett Wisely and outfielder Bryce Johnson were optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

The returns of three of their most impactful bats couldn’t come soon enough. In Estrada’s case, he missed the minimum amount of time after tweaking his wrist in Minnesota, while Pederson said his three-week absence from being hit by a pitch on a bunt attempt drew on “100%” longer than he expected.

More importantly, the Giants’ lineup returns to full strength just as their pitching staff faces its own issues. With Sean Manaea working out of a bulk role in the bullpen and Alex Wood recently joining Ross Stripling on the injured list, Kapler acknowledged after Sunday’s game that they were “piecing it together.”

On Tuesday, John Brebbia started as the opener of a bullpen game. After Logan Webb on Wednesday, their starter for the series finale here is listed as TBA.

What better time for the bats to pick up the slack than their first game of the season at hitter-friendly Coors Field?

“We’d like it to work out just like that,” Kapler said. “Also a major factor when you come to Coors Field is converting ground balls into outs, catching balls that go up and hang up there for some time. You know you’re going to give up some hits at Coors, balls are going to get into the gap, they’re going to get through the infield fast, but the ones that we are supposed to catch, those are the ones that win games for you. …

“So we’re going to need to make plays on defense. But yes, leaning on our offense to make some noise is also part of the game plan.”

It’s an even more opportune time to lean on their veteran bats with their hot-hitting rookies cooling off recently. Over their past five games, catcher Patrick Bailey and infielder Casey Schmitt combined to go 5-for-40 (.125) while drawing only one walk. Schmitt said Tuesday he has noticed opposing pitchers making adjustments, and it’s his turn to tweak some things in the cat-and-mouse game that is hitting at the major-league level; one area the Giants would like to see improvement is his pitch selection.

The rookies, including Rule 5 pick Blake Sabol, will get their first experience at Coors Field this series. Sabol got a taste for hitting at elevation in Mexico City and took note, “it was fun for the offense, right?”

Kapler was simply excited about the fact that had Schmitt at his disposal on the bench along with lefty mashers Wilmer Flores and Austin Slater, giving him the substitutional flexibility he hasn’t enjoyed nearly all season.

“It’s been some time since we had a guy like Mike Yastrzemski, who’s running an .850-plus OPS against righties, in the seven (spot), having both Austin Slater and Wilmer Flores on the bench ready to come off on pinch-hit on a day like today,” Kapler said. “Casey Schmitt who’s been so good against lefties so far, really squaring the ball up al lot since he’s been here, also coming off the bench is just kind of a nice luxury. You can see how on the position player side our roster is just looking deep today.”

High on Wisely: The Giants expect to see Wisely back in the big leagues and, according to Kapler, eventually on a permanent basis.

“Let me say this,” Kapler said, “I think Brett Wisely is a big leaguer. I think he has a chance to be a really good big leaguer for a long time. … The talent is undeniable. It’s really as physically talented a package that we’ve had some to the big leagues in some time.”

Wisely, 23, posted a .195/.230/.317 batting line in his first taste of the majors, a .547 OPS. But the athleticism he showed playing three positions up the middle — second base, shortstop and center field — is what most excites the Giants. Prior to this year, Wisely had played only five games above Double-A, and what Kapler would like to see him work on at Sacramento is slowing the game down.

“What I talked to him about is just easing a little bit of the tension that he feels in the batter’s box and on defense so that he can let his natural talent shine,” Kapler said. “We believe upper-level experience really matters for the development of a player. Sometimes it takes two or three times of getting that experience before it really clicks. There’s examples all over the league … who do that over and over and finally break through. I think Wisely is the type of guy that will eventually break through.”

Also: Matt Beaty cleared waivers and elected free agency. … Joey Bart (left groin) was scheduled to catch Tuesday for Triple-A Sacramento in the fourth game of his rehab assignment. … Ross Stripling (back) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Thursday. … Alex Wood (back) will start throwing later this week.