SF Giants activate Mitch Haniger, option Heliot Ramos, DFA speedy outfielder

The SF Giants activated Mitch Haniger from the injured list on Tuesday. They optioned Heliot Ramos and designated Bryce Johnson for assignment.

Marc Delucchi | Aug 29, 2023

SF Giants activate Mitch Haniger, option Heliot Ramos, DFA speedy outfielder /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants will finally welcome outfielder Mitch Haniger back to the lineup after an extended absence on the injured list. Haniger was reinstated from a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday. In corresponding moves, the Giants optioned outfielder Heliot Ramos (Giants Top 30 Prospect) to Triple-A Sacramento and designated outfielder Bryce Johnson for assignment.

SF Giants left fielder Mitch Haniger hits a two run home run in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 27, 2023. — SF Giants LF Mitch Haniger hits a two-run home run against the Padres. (2023)

Haniger has dealt with a myriad of injuries this season and missed most of spring training. He has appeared in just 40 games this season, struggling to a .230/.281/.373 line with nine doubles, four home runs, nine walks, and 42 strikeouts, and 160 plate appearances. Despite his struggles, though, Giants manager Gabe Kapler was confident that he was close to turning the corner at the plate before he was hit on the arm and suffered a fractured forearm that required surgery in June.

The Giants signed Haniger to a three-year, $43.5 million deal prior to the 2023 season, betting on his ability to be a potent right-handed bat. Haniger has been held back by injuries throughout his career but has some notable highlights. He is a career .259/.332/.469 hitter with an All-Star selection back in 2018 and a 39-homer campaign in 2021. Given the dearth of power in San Francisco's lineup, particularly against left-handed pitching, he could quickly make a big impact.

Ramos has oscillated between Triple-A and the majors this season and has enjoyed his first prolonged success in the upper minors and majors. Ramos has struggled to limit strikeouts in the majors this season, with 18 in 52 plate appearances, but has had several big hits this month. He has also hit .307/.369/.566 with 22 extra-base hits in 46 Triple-A games this season, easily his best performance in the minors since at least 2019.

Johnson has been one of the best defenders and baserunners in the Giants organization since they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft. Now 27, Johnson has at times looked like the best player on the Sacramento River Cats this season, hitting .284/.360/.471 with 11 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs in 50 games with 14 stolen bases. However, he recently went down with an injury.

A switch-hitter, Johnson's upside is limited by below-average power. And most importantly, he has struggled to match his minor-league production in his brief MLB stints. In 67 career big-league plate appearances, Johnson has posted a .148/.209/.213 triple-slash with a double, home run, and 22 strikeouts.

The SF Giants signaled that Bryce Johnson's tenure on the 40-man roster was approaching an end when they decided to call up Meckler. Now, he will hope to be claimed off waivers by another team. Otherwise, he could be outrighted back to the minors.

Published Aug 29, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).