SF Giants call up spring sensation Victor Bericoto; put Jung Hoo Lee on IL
SAN FRANCISCO — Victor Bericoto, a 24-year-old Venezuelan outfielder and spring training sensation, was greeted in the Giants’ clubhouse Friday by several excited veterans, after getting called up from Triple-A Sacramento.
But as this Giants’ season has gone, anything positive is quickly offset by a negative, and, in this case, outfielder Jung Hoo Lee got placed on the 10-day Injured List with a mid-back strain.
Also, Bericoto was left out of the Giants’ starting lineup against the Chicago White Sox, though he will suit up for his potential Major League debut.
“He’s ultra-low maintenance. He’s a good listener,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “But the biggest thing is for him, he’s a hitter. He’s just very hitterish.”
Vitello’s Bericoto-less starting lineup:
Shortstop Willy Adames
Second baseman Luis Arraez
Left fielder Casey Schmitt
First baseman Rafael Devers
Third baseman Matt Chapman
Designated hitter Bryce Eldridge
Catcher Jesús Rodriguez
Right fielder Drew Gilbert
Center fielder Harrison Bader
Trevor McDonald (2-0) starts on the mound for the Giants (20-30).
The right-handed hitting Bericoto belted six home runs and produced 30 RBIs with a .299 batting average and a .804 OPS in Sacramento, where he was on a six-game hitting streak before getting scratched from Thursday's lineup. He’s risen through the minors since 2019.
The last time the Giants opened a homestand (also after getting swept on the road), they brought up a more heralded Triple-A prospect in Eldridge. He’s hitting .156 with five hits in 32 at-bats (one home run, two RBI). Also called up May 4 against San Diego were catcher Rodriguez and McDonald, who won his season debut that day.
Two months ago, Bericoto received the Barney Nugent Award that goes to a Giant who excels in his first major league camp. Bericoto led the Giants through spring training in batting average (.474), home runs (three), RBIs (14) and OPS (1.264). He spent most of last season in Double-A Richmond, with an 11-game stint in Sacramento.
INJURED OUTFIELDERS
The Giants' anemic offense is currently down two starting outfielders in Heliot Ramos (quadriceps) and Lee, who Vitello said pregame felt “immensely better” than when he originally experienced back pain in pregame exercises earlier this week.
“Part of it is guarding himself from himself. He’s gonna want to be out there, no matter what,” Vitello said. “But it’s never any fun when you do the old two steps forward, one step back with an injury like that.”
Ramos received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday that Vitello said could speed up the healing from a right quad strain, but otherwise will keep him out of baseball activities the next week.
LOGAN WEBB UPDATE
Logan Webb (right knee bursitis) will make a rehab start Friday night in Sacramento, with the Giants targeting a 60-pitch limit for him. “He feels like he’s in good shape. Everybody else does, so it’ll be a little bit more tied into pitch count,” Vitello said.
DAY-TO-DAY BRYCE?
A day after president of baseball operations Buster Posey said Bryce Eldridge will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, Vitello tried to clean up the Giants’ outlook on their top prospect who’s had sporadic playing time since his May 4 callup.
“There's two versions of that: day to day currently, but in the long run, it’s to develop arguably the best prospect in the organization. Everybody feels the same way,” Vitello said. “He looks very comfortable in the box. You ask our pitchers or our hitters, they all have confidence in him, and obviously, the same goes for the front office and the coaching staff. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here, so, obviously, it makes more sense to start him when it’s a right-handed pitcher.”
Posey, in a tense interview on KNBR 680-AM, said: "I wish I could sit here and tell you, ‘Hey guys, we've got this mapped out for the next four months,’ but we just don't. People get injured or people need a blow here and there."
THIRD-BASE COACH NEWS
Ron Wotus will serve as the third-base coach this three-game set against the White Sox as Hector Borg mourns the loss of his grandmother, Vitello said.
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