SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Left-hander Erik Miller made his first appearance of Cactus League play on Saturday at Scottsdale Stadium after dealing with a pair of setbacks, tossing a scoreless inning and striking out three batters as the Giants beat the Royals, 7-3. His spot on the Opening Day roster has long been secure. The Giants are still trying to determine whether he’ll be the only lefty in their bullpen come Opening Day.
San Francisco entered spring training with Miller as the only left-handed reliever on their 40-man roster. Halfway through Cactus League games, that remains the case. Last week, the Giants re-assigned left-handed non-roster invitees Raymond Burgos, Miguel Del Pozo and Ethan Small to minor-league camp, leaving Joey Lucchesi, Enny Romero, Antonio Jimenez and Helcris Olivarez as the remaining left-handed relievers in camp.
“It’s definitely interesting,” Miller said earlier this spring. “Those are obviously decisions that are way above my pay grade. … Obviously, it’s not conventional. That’s the obvious thing. When you play teams that have a lot of (left-handed hitters), it’s usually beneficial to have more than one. I can only throw so many games in a row. It’s definitely open and I think it would probably help. We have a lot of lefties here who are super talented.”
Manager Bob Melvin said things are “up in the air” when asked if the Giants are leaning towards having two left-handers in their bullpen. Melvin added that having two lefties in the ‘pen is “ideal,” especially if one can throw multiple innings. Melvin joked earlier this spring that his main criteria when looking at the different lefties is “outs.”
“I don’t think at this point in time, anybody has stood out yet,” Melvin said on Friday before the Giants’ game against the Reds was rained out.
Of the four left-handed non-roster invitees remaining, Lucchesi and Romero are the only two with major-league experience. And of those two, Lucchesi has an advantage in that he pitched in the majors last year whereas Romero’s last appearance in the big leagues was in 2018. As far as free agents go, the list of available left-handers includes former Giant Drew Smyly and Brooks Raley.
Lucchesi, 31, had been a starter for his entire professional career prior to last season but converted from starting to relieving with the New York Mets’ Triple-A affiliate last August. The Newark native enjoyed success (3.16 ERA, 25 2/3 innings) as he learned the nuances of the role and is fully embracing the new chapter of his career.
“The Giants hit me up and said, ‘Hey, we have a lot of starters in house, so your best opportunity to make the team at camp would probably be as a reliever,’ ” said Lucchesi, who has thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings this spring. “They don’t have too many lefties with experience. Me, my agents and my family talked about it and thought I could have a revival in my career. I’m still adjusting to it, but I feel like I’m doing well and I enjoy it.”
Romero, 34, has been a journeyman’s journeyman over the last seven years. Since he last touched a big league mound on July 15, 2018, Romero has suited up for the Chunichi Dragons (NPB, 2019), Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), Chiba Lotte Marines (NPB, 2021-22), SSG Landers (KBO, 2023) and Toros de Tijuana (2024). That doesn’t include his time in the Dominican Winter League, either, where he was the reigning Pitcher of the Year for Aguilas Cibaenas. The left-hander has a 5.40 ERA this spring but allowed one earned run across four innings with five strikeouts in his first three outings.
“I’m very happy for the opportunity,” Romero said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I’m a believer that God puts you in the right place.”
The next two weeks of games — and the looming next round of cuts — will determine whether Lucchesi, Romero, Jimenez or Olivarez can pitch their way onto the Opening Day roster. At the minimum, the Giants will have Miller, who was happy to finally pitch in a real game after dealing with illness and inflammation in his middle finger.
Most of the Giants’ pitchers have appeared in at least three games at this point, and Miller admitted to feeling “a bit of anxiety” due to being behind other pitchers. Miller was scheduled to pitch on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark, but the game was canceled due to rain.
“I drove over there and I got in even earlier than those guys,” Miller said. “I was in the outfield playing catch and someone walked out and said, ‘Yeah, we’re not playing.’ I was like, ‘That’s sweet.’ I got (my first game) out of the way today, but it was like, ‘Dude, I can’t get on the mound no matter what it is.’”
Adames, Chapman showcase defensive prowess
On paper, third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames represent one of the best left sides to an infield in baseball. On Saturday, they flashed their collective potential on both sides of the ball in a 7-3 win over Kansas City.
In the first inning, Chapman fielded a Nelson Velázquez chopper on the barehand then fired to first base for the out, the latest example of him making a difficult play look routine. The following inning, the Royals’ John Rave smoked a grounder that bounced off Keaton Winn’s foot and ricocheted into the air. Shortstop Willy Adames camped himself under the ball, then quickly fired to first base once it landed for the out.
Along with the defense, Chapman hit an opposite-field home run on a fly ball that kept on carrying with the help of the dry Arizona air, his fourth homer of Cactus League play and his third in his last two games. In seven games, Chapman is hitting .533/.650/1.333 with as many walks as strikeouts.
“We’re going to be able to try to cover the whole left side, and if I’m taking the six-hole, he’s able to be up the middle,” Chapman said. “We’re just trying to spread it out as much as we can and get used to playing with each other.”
Worth noting
- Mike Yastrzemski hit his third home run of the spring, a no-doubter to right field that landed on the roof of the Charro Lodge. Yastrzemski has a 1.006 OPS through eight games. David Villar hit his first homer of the spring as well.
- Right-handed Joel Peguero tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout and touched 102 mph. The reliever has tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings this spring with five strikeouts and no walks.
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