MILWAUKEE — Patrick Bailey was back behind the plate Thursday for the Giants’ series finale against the Brewers.
Bailey was activated from the injured list after a minimum 10-day stay with an oblique strain. In a corresponding move, the Giants designated Andrew Knapp for assignment, leaving them with Bailey and Curt Casali as their catching duo — at least until rosters expand to 28 on Sunday.
The Brewers have gone 3-for-3 stealing bases over the first two games of the series, so the Giants were looking forward to getting Bailey’s defensive acumen back.
“When we’re doing our job on the mound, we’ve got a great chance to throw guys out; he has one of the better pop-times in the league,” manager Bob Melvin said. “When you play a team like this that runs like this, it’s certainly a benefit to have. … When you lose your starting catcher, that really affects your team.”
Bailey has thrown out 30% of attempted base stealers this season — well above the league average of 20% — and has created more defensive value with his framing alone than all but one player (Nationals center fielder Jacob Young) in every other facet of the game, combined, according to Statcast’s Fielding Runs Value metric.
In the batter’s box, though, the switch-hitting catcher has been stuck in a funk since the All-Star break. His last home run came July 10, batting .143 with a .357 OPS in 31 games since then before landing on the injured list. He reported feeling soreness in his right side after getting in some extra pregame hitting.
The injury only sidelined Bailey for a few days, Melvin said, and he’s been able to stay fresh by taking swings off soft toss.
“It doesn’t feel like one of those ILs where you have to get a rehab game or two in,” Melvin said. “We’d like to get him back as quick as we can, and it was just the 10 days, so we feel like we’re in pretty good shape. … The offense has been down a little bit. Maybe this break helps him out a little bit.”
Knapp, a Cal alum and Northern California native, was signed last week to back up Casali when Bailey went on the IL. He appeared in three games, going 1-for-6, in his first major-league action since the Giants released him in 2022.
With rosters expanding soon, Melvin didn’t rule out the possibility of carrying three catchers if Knapp clears waivers.
“Sure, potentially,” Melvin said. “He’s a great fit for our organization and knows how to play that second or third role. He’s a switch hitter. Even though he was only in a couple games, he impressed us with acclimating to the pitchers really quickly. It’s nice to have somebody like that. Hopefully we get to keep him if he’s not in the big leagues.”
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Source: www.mercurynews.com