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SF Giants activate 2B Thairo Estrada from IL, option Diaz to AAA

SF Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada will make his return to the lineup on Saturday against the Athletics.

Steven Rissotto

SF Giants activate 2B Thairo Estrada from IL, option Diaz to AAA
SF Giants activate 2B Thairo Estrada from IL, option Diaz to AAA /
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Although they didn’t make any major acquisitions during Tuesday’s trading deadline, the SF Giants knew all along they’d be receiving internal relief to bolster their middle infield while also adding a much-needed lineup reinforcement. As expected, the organization announced on Saturday that second baseman Thairo Estrada has officially been activated off the injured list to face the Oakland Athletics in the first game of a two-game set. Infielder Isan Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to make room on the roster.

SF Giants infielder Thairo Estrada reacts after hitting a two run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 6, 2023.
Thairo Estrada is set to return to the lineup against Oakland on Saturday.  / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Estrada has been out with a fractured hand after New York Mets right-hander Adam Ottavino drilled him with a pitch on July 2. He began a rehab assignment with Sacramento on Aug. 1 and went 1-for-11 at the plate across three games. Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters on Thursday that Estrada was expected to be “an option” for the club as they make the short trip across the Bay Bridge to face Oakland.

In Estrada’s absence, the Giants have struggled mightily to put together a competent replacement at second base. Since June 1, they’ve received an abysmal .334 OPS from the position with a 37.7 K% and 3 wRC+ –– MLB-worsts across the board. Estrada’s return will also likely improve the already-impressive defense, along with some speed on the basepaths.

Estrada, 27, was enjoying an All-Star caliber season by slashing .272/.327/.434 with nine homers, 18 doubles, 18 stolen bases, and a .761 OPS before hitting the injured list. He was also second in the National League behind Miami’s Luis Arraez with 2.5 fWAR. He was in the midst of a struggling offensive stretch and 81 wRC+ from June 3 to July 3.

Diaz, 27, will head back to Sacramento without a ton of success at the big league level. In 21 plate appearances for the Giants, he’s notched just one hit and two walks (.195 OPS). 

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Steven Rissotto
STEVEN RISSOTTO

Steven Rissotto (he/him) is an award-winning journalist who currently covers the San Francisco Giants for SFBay.ca and Giants Baseball Insider. At 19-years-old in 2021, he joined SF Bay Media as the Giants beat writer, covering games a few times a week during the Giants’ record-setting 107-win season. Along with his game story coverage he is also the host of RizzoCast, a baseball podcast he founded in 2020 that features interviews with professional and amateur baseball players, coaches, media, fans, and everyone else around the game. Past guests have included Tyler Glasnow, Bob Kendrick, Shawn Estes, Bill Laskey, Renel Brooks Moon, Dave Dravecky, Ned Colletti, Denard Span, Ron Wotus, Joe Maddon, J.T. Snow and more. He is also a co-host with Tylor Hall on the Shutdown Inning Podcast, a show focused on all the latest happenings around the baseball world. Both podcasts are available on YouTube and everywhere podcasts are found. Currently, he is a student at San Francisco State University where he is majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in print/online and minoring in education. At SF State, he is the managing editor for Golden Gate Xpress, the student-run newspaper. He was formerly a member of the newspaper at Skyline College, where he served as editor-in-chief and news editor while also writing sports and features. He was formerly a student-journalist at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, where he pitched for the baseball team and covered some of the biggest stories in campus history. This includes a new multi-sports facility on campus, the breaking news coverage of Riordan’s coed announcement and the COVID-19 pandemic. Steven is well-respected by his peers and has been honored numerous times by Student Newspapers Online, JEA, ACP, and the California Publishing Association. In 2021, he finished second in the country for Reporter of the Year for ACP among the two-year college schools.

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