MESA, Ariz. — Both sides of the San Francisco Giants’ planned right field platoon have been hampered by health issues to begin spring training, but both players appear to be turning a corner and on track for the regular season, with Mike Yastrzemski making his Cactus League debut Wednesday.
Yastrzemski, 33, pointed to the outcome of the two times he put the ball in play as evidence why he’s isn’t concerned by his delayed start.
In a 7-4 exhibition loss to the A’s, he came to the plate three times as the designated hitter, drawing a walk and twice flying out to left field.
“I got beat a little bit, but the fact that I’m executing what I’m trying to do on day one is really promising for me,” Yastrzemski said. “It’s one of those things that as you get older and you go through spring training multiple times … you start to understand what your process is versus everyone else’s. When you come out here and you’re working on things, kind of like what I was just talking to (hitting coach Pat Burrell) about, really working on staying behind the ball.”
Like Austin Slater, Yastrzemski was delayed to start camp and has not yet been cleared to play the field.
While Slater has been slow in his recovery from offseason elbow surgery, the origins of Yastrzemski’s shoulder ailment remains a mystery.
One morning in December, he said, he woke up with a sore shoulder. When it didn’t improve after a couple weeks off over the holidays, “I said, ‘all right, we’ve gotta get into some (physical therapy) and get this thing strengthened up and ready to go,’” Yastrzemski said.
On Wednesday, Yastrzemski accelerated his throwing program, playing catch out to 200 feet. He began camp by throwing from short distances two out of every three days, and when his shoulder responded well, progressed to playing catch everyday leading up to his debut this week.
“I felt like I was physically ready to try to get air under the ball, versus throwing intently from a shorter position,” Yastrzemski said. “Wanted to see how I respond from that, so we’ll see how it feels tomorrow, but it feels good right now.”
While the Giants would love to have their expected Opening Day right fielder ready when they break camp, there is one early season series that Yastrzemski surely will not want to miss. The Giants travel to Boston for three games at Fenway Park, his Hall-of-Fame grandfather’s home ballpark, at the end of April.
“I think I started getting (ticket requests) like two years ago,” Yastrzemski chuckled. “I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be fun.”
Homer happy
The ball was jumping off the bats under the Wednesday afternoon sun, with the teams combining for five home runs.
Two came in the first two batters to step to the plate against Giants starter Spencer Howard, who’s no stranger to the long ball. In camp as a non-roster invitee, Howard has appeared in 38 games for the Phillies and Rangers but is 3-11 with a 7.20 ERA and has allowed 26 homers in 115 career innings.
The 27-year-old right-hander is trying to make his case as a depth option for the rotation — which is looking increasing important — but given the start in place of Mason Black, who was moved up to cover for the injured Tristan Beck, Howard was bitten by the same issues that have led him to his fourth organization in two years.
Leadoff man Ryan Noda deposited the second pitch he saw, a 94-mph fastball, onto the berm in left field, and the next batter, Zack Gelof, gave the same treatment to another heater to right field.
“We’re taking a look at everybody with some of the injuries we’ve had,” Melvin said. “If he wants to go out and make an impression, it was only gonna be an inning today, but when the first two guys hit homers, it gets your attention a little bit.”
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A pair of Giants also recorded their first homers of the spring, with J.D. Davis taking a 1-2 fastball from Paul Blackburn deep to the opposite field, and Luis Matos showing off the extra muscle he put on with a three-run homer off Scott Alexander — one of three former Giants on the A’s pitching staff — that scraped the left field wall in the fifth.
Results don’t count, until they do
Melvin was feisty following his club’s fifth exhibition of the spring, which ended in a loss to his former team and with his current club still searching for its first win.
In five spring games, the Giants have allowed 36 runs — 7.2 per game — all but nine of them coming in the first five innings, when both teams’ regulars are generally still in the game.
“We’re giving up way too many runs early in the games here and putting ourself in a hole,” Melvin said. “We’re scoring some runs, but we’re giving up way too many. It’s not a great feeling. … No one’s going to remember it, but we remember it right now. Every game you suit up for, you go out there to win, so no, we need to play better.”