SF Giants’ Mauricio Dubón returns to big leagues, another infielder hits injured list
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s been more than two months since Mauricio Dubón last played a major league game, but the versatile utility man is back with the Giants.
The club announced Thursday that Dubón has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take the roster spot of infielder Wilmer Flores, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain that forced him to leave Wednesday’s game early.
Flores’ injured list placement is his second of the season as he also missed 10 days with a right hamstring strain from May 19-29.
“It’s on the mild side, but it definitely showed up on a scan so it’s going to be a couple of weeks for (Flores),” manager Gabe Kapler said.
Dubón can play all over the diamond, but he’s expected to help the Giants up the middle as he’s earned most of his playing time since being optioned to Triple-A at the shortstop position. Despite playing just one game in center field at Triple-A, that’s where Dubón is starting on Thursday against Milwaukee.
“He’s been playing mostly shortstop in Triple-A, but we feel confident he can go out there and hold down the fort for us,” Kapler said. “It also gives us a chance to get a good defender in right field in (Austin) Slater.”
Dubón hit .234 with a .646 OPS during the first half of the season for San Francisco before being demoted in late June, but has posted a .333 average with an .878 OPS at Triple-A Sacramento while continuing to play strong defense for the River Cats.
The Giants are down several infielders as second baseman Donovan Solano is on the COVID-19 injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus in New York last Thursday while third baseman Evan Longoria has been out since August 18 with a right hand contusion.
Veteran Tommy La Stella is also out of the lineup for a third straight game due to left side tightness, but Kapler indicated La Stella was close to being available off the bench in Wednesday’s game and could be ready to pinch-hit in Thursday’s series finale.
“I watched all of his swings yesterday and I thought they looked good,” Kapler said. “Obliques are really tricky and one of the things on our mind is how we dealt with Brandon Belt’s side issue early in the year. It felt like we could never quite get him over the hump. He felt good on certain days, we felt confident enough to have him pinch-hit, and it wasn’t like he had setbacks, but it took him awhile.”
The Giants are also taking a cautious approach with third baseman Evan Longoria, who has been out since August 18 with a right hand contusion. Longoria had a cortisone shot on Tuesday to reduce the swelling in his index finger and hit in the batting cage on Wednesday, but the Giants don’t want to reinstate him from the injured list until they’re certain he can contribute at a high level.
“I was talking to (hitting coach) Dustin Lind about that this morning he said the swings look really good and I think at this point, we’re going to try to have him ramp up the intensity of the swings,” Kapler said. “I’m going to wait for Longo to assure me he feels healthy and confident and then we’ll get him back in there.”
Kapler said Thursday that assistant hitting coach Justin Viele has returned to the club after spending the last week in quarantine in New York. Viele was determined to be a close contact of Solano, but he did not contract COVID-19. After two negative tests in the last 48 hours, Viele was able to rejoin a Giants team that has scored just five runs during its four-game losing streak.