Stanford alum Tristan Beck making progress towards return to Giants pitching staff

Dylan Grausz | Aug 19, 2024

Sep 30, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tristan Beck (43) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

In March, former Stanford Cardinal and current San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck suffered a serious arm injury near the beginning of spring training when he felt his hand go numb when throwing bullpen sessions. After returning to San Francisco to get evaluated, it was discovered that the cause of the numbness was due to an aneurysm, an uncommon injury for baseball and promptly got surgery on it at Stanford. After being put on the 60-day injured list, Beck has not made an appearance for the Giants since.

However, it appears that Beck is on the road to return at some point this season to provide some added depth to the Giants’ pitching staff as he began a Triple-A rehab assignment with the Sacramento River Cats on Aug. 8 and has looked solid thus far, only responsible for allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings in his first two starts. In his most recent start on Sunday, Beck pitched three innings and allowed four runs on five hits, including a home run, striking out four batters. While currently expected to return in late August or early September, it is still to be determined the exact date that Beck will take the mound again for the Giants.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves, Beck was traded to the Giants in the middle of the 2019 season and spent the rest of the 2019 season, 2021 (he did not pitch in 2020 due to the cancellation of the MiLB season) and 2022 seasons in the farm system before making his MLB debut with the Giants on April 20, 2023.

For his career, Beck has a 3-3 record in 33 games and possesses a 3.92 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 85 innings pitched. Starting three games and also picking up a pair of saves last season, Beck struck out 68 batters and proved to be a very reliable arm for San Francisco.

Only playing two seasons at Stanford between 2016 and 2018 due to missing the entire 2017 season due to injury, Beck ended his college career with a 14-9 record in 29 games (all starts) and had a 2.74 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP in 174 innings pitched.

Losing Beck was a big blow to the Giants, and while they have since found ways to make up for it, he is sure to be welcomed with open arms as he looks to come back better than ever and take back his rightful place on the pitching staff.