Gabe Kapler often paints the most optimistic picture when sizing up a potentially difficult situation for his club, but when second baseman Donovan Solano left Wednesday’s game in Philadelphia with a calf strain, the Giants manager delivered a sobering analysis.
“One of the reasons it’s tough to lose Solano is because no matter how you slice it, it’s going to lighten our bench a little bit,” Kapler said. “And that’s one of the the major strengths of our team.”
Solano will likely be placed on the 10-day injured list ahead of Thursday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins, leaving the Giants without one of their best and most consistent hitters. The injury will have a ripple effect because Solano, who splits time at second base with Tommy La Stella, is often the best available option for Kapler off the bench and has been used throughout the month of April as a defensive replacement in the late innings.
Kapler pointed out that Solano’s injury will create an opportunity for another Giants player to step up, but it’s not immediately clear how the club will divide up the at-bats that Solano would have taken.
Giants executives Farhan Zaidi and Scott Harris have several decisions to weigh in determining who to promote to the active roster to take Solano’s place on Thursday.
The front office could replace Solano with another infielder, Thairo Estrada, who was recently acquired off waivers from the New York Yankees. Estrada has experience at both shortstop and second base and bats from the right side, so of the 40-man roster players available, he profiles most similarly to Solano.
The Giants could also move utility man Mauricio Dubón into the infield on a near-full-time basis and promote an outfielder such as Steven Duggar, who can take the late-inning reps in center field that Dubón has been earning as a defensive upgrade off the bench. Adding Duggar would give the Giants another left-handed bat and would allow Kapler to pair Dubón at second base with Brandon Crawford at shortstop, which might be the best defensive duo the club can use in the middle of the diamond in Solano’s absence.
Any lineup that includes both Duggar and Dubón would clearly prioritize defense, as neither have been much of a threat at the plate in their most recent opportunities.
After back-to-back four-inning outings from their starting pitchers, the Giants may also elect to go with a short bench on Thursday and add a reliever such as Sam Selman to the 26-man roster. Kapler stretched the bullpen out in Philadelphia and the Giants were attempting to secure a series sweep on Wednesday while giving days off to their most reliable back-end arms, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee.
Temporarily bringing Selman or another reliever into the mix could ease the load for a Giants team that doesn’t have another off day until Thursday, April 29, but it would place further limitations on Kapler’s ability to seek favorable late-game matchups off the bench.
With Dubón, La Stella and Wilmer Flores on the 26-man roster, the Giants have no shortage of options at second base, but they’ll clearly miss having the reigning National League Silver Slugger Award at the position in the lineup or available off the bench.
Giants players have joked that Kapler has both a right-handed lineup and a left-handed lineup and even if the Giants add Estrada from the alternate site and keep the rest of the roster as is, the club will be lacking some firepower and Solano’s valuable contact skills.
No bench in the majors has been more active than Kapler’s this season as the Giants have already clubbed five pinch-hit home runs, which lead the big leagues. With Solano out, the Giants’ bench will be weakened as fans will likely see one or two fewer platoons in the starting lineup and hitters with lesser track records available late in games.