The San Francisco Giants recalled prized prospect Luis Matos from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday and placed fellow outfielder Mitch Haniger on the 10-day injured list.
Matos, 21, was in the starting lineup on Wednesday batting second, and he singled to left in his first major league at-bat. He went 1-for-3 before exiting in favor of a pinch-hitter as the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 in 10 innings.
The Venezuelan was batting .398 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 24 games at Sacramento. Earlier this season, he batted .304 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 31 games for Double-A Richmond.
Matos is rated as San Francisco’s No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Haniger sustained a broken right forearm when struck by a pitch from St. Louis right-hander Jack Flaherty on Tuesday night. The Giants don’t have a timetable for Haniger’s return.
Haniger, 32, is batting .230 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 40 games in his first season with the Giants. He signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal as a free agent in the offseason.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” Haniger said. “Injuries are part of the game. At the same time, I’ve just got to focus on what’s next and focus on the recovery process and getting back out there and helping this team win.”
San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler is eager to see how Matos performs.
“Obviously, Matos has been swinging the bat really well,” Kapler said before Wednesday’s game. “It’s an exciting moment for the organization. Obviously, it comes on the heels of something that was really disappointing in the Haniger injury, but certainly we’re excited to see what Matos can bring to the table.”
Third baseman J.D. Davis sprained his right ankle on Tuesday and missed Wednesday’s contest. He is batting .286 with nine homers and 35 RBIs in 63 games.
San Francisco also recalled third baseman David Villar from Sacramento and optioned right-hander Keaton Winn to the same affiliate.
Villar, 26, batted .135 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 32 games for the Giants earlier this season. Winn, 25, gave up one run and one hit in four innings in his lone appearance.
–Field Level Media