San Francisco Giants Activate Former Stanford Pitcher for Stretch Run

Dylan Grausz | Sep 4, 2024

Apr 6, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck (43) before the game against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

He’s finally back. It has been a long road to recovery for former Stanford Cardinal Tristan Beck after he suffered an arm aneurysm back in February, forcing him to be put on the injured list and miss the season. But now, after about six months of recovery, Beck will finally get the chance to pitch in the big leagues once again, being activated off the injured list by the San Francisco Giants earlier this week.

Suffering the injury in the early part of spring training, Beck underwent a procedure to address the issue in early March and was forced to stop all baseball activity until May 1, when the right-hander slowly began to throw again before starting a rehab assignment on August 8th. 

During his rehab stint with the Sacramento River Cats, Beck started five games and pitched 13.2 innings and while his ERA was a 7.90, he showed enough to prove that he was healthy enough to come back. With September call–ups now here, and MLB rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players before the playoffs, the Giants opted to use one of those spots on Beck, hoping that his return will provide a much needed boost to the pitching staff.

While he was expected to be a starter before the season began, the plan is now for Beck to be deployed as a multi-inning reliever, as his highest pitch count during his rehab assignment was 56. Despite Robbie Ray currently being shelved, the Giants rotation already boasts Logan Webb, Blake Snell, Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong and Mason Black, with Snell, Webb and Harrison being cemented in the rotation, and Birdsong and Black having shown enough promise to remain in those current roles. 

While looking to be a key bullpen piece the rest of this season, the uncertainty involving Snell’s contract as well as other factors could earn Beck another look to fill a rotation spot next season if he is able to perform well for the rest of 2024.

A star for the Cardinal from 2016-2018, Beck only pitched two seasons in college after missing the entire 2017 season due to injury. However, despite being draft eligible following that season, he opted to return for 2018. He had a strong year in which he finished with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 90 innings pitched, and he was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft by the Atlanta Braves.