The San Francisco Giants, revitalized in the playoff race with two weeks left in the regular season, have called up their top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, according to a source confirmed to Alofoke Deportes on Monday.
Eldridge, a 20-year-old rookie, is ranked among the top prospects. He will fill the position left by Dominic Smith, who was placed on the injured list due to a hamstring strain.
Selected 16th overall in the 2023 draft, Eldridge performed well in Double-A at the start of the season. In the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, he batted .249/.322/.514 with 18 home runs, 88 strikeouts, and 28 walks.
Although his strikeout rate remained high, his production improved in the last 17 games, with a batting average of .294 and 10 extra-base hits.
The Giants have used Rafael Devers at both first base and designated hitter, with Smith and Wilmer Flores alternating at the other position. Eldridge will assume Smith’s role down the stretch, hoping to propel the Giants towards an improbable playoff spot.
After acquiring Devers in mid-June, the Giants had a 13-22 record before the trade deadline at the end of July, which led the management to negotiate with veteran players. As of August 22, the Giants were seven games below .500 and 7 1/2 games out of the last wild card spot, but have since won 14 of 20 games and are currently only 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets, with 13 games remaining.
