SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NEWS

Alex Cobb - To start second game of season Giants manager Gabe Kapler announced Tuesday that Cobb (knee) will start the second game of the regular season, Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Impact Clearly that knee contusion that Cobb suffered Saturday in a Cactus League start against the Dodgers is not going to be a lingering issue. The veteran right-hander pitched to a 3.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 151:43 K:BB over 149.2 innings (28 starts) for San Francisco last season.

MARCH 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sean Manaea - Mixed results in spring Manaea has allowed six earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out 10 over eight innings through three Cactus League starts.

Impact It's encouraging to see Manaea missing bats frequently, but what contact has been made against him has often landed for a hit. The 31-year-old southpaw is coming off of his worst season in the majors, in which he posted a 4.96 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 158 innings for the Padres. The Giants have a solid track record of getting the most out of their pitchers, but it'll be on Manaea to pitch well enough to retain his spot in what's shaping up to be a crowded competition for a place in the rotation.

MARCH 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Logan Webb - Gets nod for Opening Day Giants manager Gabe Kapler announced Tuesday that Webb will start on Opening Day against the Yankees, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact An easy decision here for Kapler after Webb turned in a 2.90 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 163:49 K:BB over 192.1 innings (32 starts) in 2022. The 26-year-old right-hander did struggle with a back injury down the stretch, but he's been a full-go in camp since late February. He's rightly being selected as top-30 starter in most standard fantasy drafts for 2023.

MARCH 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Luis González - Undergoing surgery on back Gonzalez is undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Impact The procedure comes with a 16-week recovery estimate, per Baggarly, which means that Gonzalez is sure to miss at least the first half of the 2023 season. He was bothered by back issues for much of the 2022 campaign and slashed just .254/.323/.360 across 350 plate appearances for San Francisco. At least the 27-year-old outfielder can now look forward to putting those back troubles in the past whenever he does finish up the lengthy rehab process.

MARCH 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Brandon Crawford - Gets cortisone injection for knee Crawford received a cortisone injection Sunday for his sore left knee, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Impact The hope is that the cortisone shot will help Crawford get over the hump and return to Cactus League action within a week or so. If it doesn't, the veteran shortstop will be at risk of missing the beginning of the 2023 regular season. He hasn't appeared in an exhibition game since last Friday.

MARCH 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Giants notes: Brandon Crawford's sore knee opens a host of questions Crawford dealt with knee problems in 2022, but the Giants might be able to get creative if he's forced to be out for an extended period.

MARCH 14, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

The Giants' defense was lousy last year, but it was also unlucky The Giants' defense definitely contributed to the wide gap between the team's ERA and xERA last year, but it doesn't account for all of it.

MARCH 13, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Crawford on pause with knee discomfort PEORIA, Ariz. -- Another injury concern cropped up for the Giants on Monday, when the club announced that veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford...

MARCH 13, 2023 • MLB.COM

Isan Diaz - Exits game with tight hamstring Diaz was lifted from Monday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to slight hamstring tightness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Impact It's not clear how Diaz was hurt, but it seems at this point the injury is considered relatively minor. Still, anything involving the hamstring could take multiple days, so expect the Giants to proceed cautiously. Diaz is competing for a reserve infielder job.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sam Long - Falls short in roster bid The Giants optioned Long to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Impact Long's demotion comes as little surprise after he was blitzed for seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits and three walks while striking out seven over 5.2 innings across his four appearances in the Cactus League. The southpaw was previously one of the Giants' more interesting pitching prospects when he joined the organization in 2020, but he's struggled to stake a claim to a regular role in the big leagues the past two seasons. It's unclear if the Giants intend to have him continue his development as a starter at Sacramento or make a full-time move to the bullpen.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Thomas Szapucki - Getting second opinion Szapucki is seeking a second opinion for his left upper arm injury, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact The initial diagnosis was that Szapucki is dealing with neuropathy, which left his fingers numb during his lone Cactus League appearance back in late February. He remains shut down as the Giants attempt to get a clearer handle on the situation.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Luis González - Getting spine checked out Gonzalez (back) traveled to Los Angeles on Monday to receive a second opinion on his injury from a spine specialist, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact Gonzalez mentioned just over a week ago that he had noticed improvement in his recovery from the lower-back strain that has kept him from playing throughout the spring, so it's possible that his meeting with the specialist may be for the purpose of mapping out of his next steps rather than the result of any sort of setback. Whatever the case, Gonzalez is running out of time to prove his health during spring training, and unless he's cleared to return to game action next week, he appears destined to begin the season on the injured list.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ronald Guzmán - Getting MRI Guzman (forearm) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact Guzman has impressed this spring as the Giants try him out as a pitcher, but unfortunately he exited a Cactus League appearance Sunday with forearm discomfort. Even if the injury winds up being relatively minor, it surely eliminates what slim chance Guzman had to make the roster.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

David Villar - Dealing with hip flexor strain Villar was diagnosed Monday with a mild left hip flexor strain, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact Villar had to be scratched from the Giants' lineup over the weekend with the injury and an MRI has provided a more specific diagnosis. He will be re-evaluated daily and, thus, can be considered day-to-day.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Brandon Crawford - Knee hurting, out at least one week The Giants announced Monday that Crawford is experiencing left knee discomfort and will be held out of baseball activities for the next week, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact Crawford's week-long shutdown period wouldn't be a major concern if it came during the early portion of spring training, but now that he's battling a knee issue with Opening Day just two and a half weeks away, the veteran shortstop's availability for the start of the season is suddenly more of a question mark. Thairo Estrada will start at shortstop in Monday's Cactus League game against the Padres, and he could continue to see more work at the position for the duration of spring training in preparation for the possibility of Crawford opening the season on the injured list.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Alex Cobb - Bullpen session on tap Cobb (knee) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact The side session should provide the Giants with a good gauge for how Cobb's left knee is feeling two days after it was struck by a line drive during his Cactus League start versus the Dodgers. Cobb was diagnosed with a bruise after follow-up tests ruled out any structural damage to the knee, so the right-hander looks as though he could be on track to return to the Giants' spring pitching schedule without having to miss a start. The team will offer an update on his next steps once he completes the bullpen session.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ross Stripling - Still working things out Stripling has allowed six runs on 13 hits while striking out nine and walking none over 8.1 innings across three Cactus League games.

Impact Stripling made his first start of the spring Sunday versus Oakland after appearing as a reliever in his first two outings. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports Stripling took a comebacker off the glove in Sunday's game, but there's no concern of an injury at this time. The 33-year-old right-hander was effective with a 3.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 111:20 K:BB across 134.1 innings with the Blue Jays a year ago, and he should slot in toward the back of the Giants' rotation this season, though his favorable home park could make him worth a look in deeper fantasy drafts.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Logan Webb leads the Giants' staff-wide ambition to boost strikeouts The Giants' staff is elite at inducing groundballs, but with a less than elite defense behind them, they are chasing more whiffs.

MARCH 13, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Sabol's confident play earning rave reviews SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rule 5 Draft pick Blake Sabol has never lacked confidence as a hitter. “Honestly, I was a really cocky little kid,” Sab...

MARCH 13, 2023 • MLB.COM

Ronald Guzmán - Suffers forearm injury Guzman suffered a left forearm injury in Sunday's spring game, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Impact This is a big blow to Guzman's hopes of winning a bullpen spot in spring training. The former first baseman turned two-way player exited after airmailing a pitch and generally struggling with his control in the outing. He should be considered out indefinitely and should head to Triple-A when healthy.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Jose Cruz - Sent to minors The Giants optioned Cruz to minor-league camp Sunday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact It appears Cruz was sent to Triple-A Sacramento despite the fact he spent last season at the Single-A level. The 22-year-old produced a 2.06 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 86:23 K:BB over 52.1 innings for San Jose last season, which was his first action above rookie ball.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ronald Guzmán - Exits with injury Guzman exited Sunday's spring training game with an apparent injury, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact A two-way player who used to be solely a first baseman, Guzman doubled over on the mound after airmailing a pitch in Sunday's outing and had generally struggled to locate his pitches prior to suffering the injury. His best bet to have a big-league career at this point is likely as a reliever, but this injury could dash any hopes of making the roster out of camp.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tristan Beck - Struck by comebacker Beck exited Sunday's spring game against the A's after being hit in the left ankle with a comebacker, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Impact Beck came out of the bullpen Sunday and delivered 2.2 scoreless frames before exiting the contest. It's unclear if the 26-year-old will be available for his next turn through the rotation, and he should be considered day-to-day until his status is updated.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Blake Sabol - Could see time in outfield Sabol could get a look in the outfield after Mitch Haniger (oblique) sustained an injury, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Impact Sabol's bat is turning heads in Giants camp -- he has three home runs, three doubles, seven RBI and eight runs scored through eight Cactus League games. He's hitting .529, and he's now being considered for the outfield after initially being labeled a catcher at the start of the spring. Whether the Giants want to carry three catchers remains to be seen, as Joey Bart, Roberto Perez and Austin Wynns all have more major-league experience behind the dish than Sabol, but if the 25-year-old can add some versatility to his profile, he may stick with San Francisco.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Brett Wisely - Back in action Sunday Wisely (illness) will start in center field and bat sixth in Sunday's Cactus League game versus the Athletics, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Impact Wisely will add another position to his skill set by getting a look in center field. The 23-year-old is gaining a lot of attention in spring training and has a chance to make the Giants' Opening Day roster as a bench bat. If he continues to play well, he could push for a strong-side platoon role, as manager Gabe Kapler is fond of playing matchups. Over the last two years, Wisely has seen time all around the infield and in left field as part of the Rays' organization.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE