SF Giants activate LHP Scott Alexander from IL, option OF Bryce Johnson

The SF Giants activated southpaw Scott Alexander from the injured list on Tuesday and optioned outfielder Bryce Johnson to Triple-A Sacramento.

Marc Delucchi | Jul 4, 2023

SF Giants activate LHP Scott Alexander from IL, option OF Bryce Johnson /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants activated left-handed relief pitcher Scott Alexander from the injured list prior to the team's game against the Mariners on Tuesday. Alexander was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain in mid-June. He made a one rehab appearance at Triple-A, recording a walk and a strikeout in one shutout inning. The Giants optioned outfielder Bryce Johnson to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.

SF Giants pitcher Scott Alexander pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning on May 25, 2023. — SF Giants pitcher Scott Alexander pitches against the Brewers. (2023) / Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Alexander's return will give manager Gabe Kapler a fresh arm in a tired bullpen. A nine-year MLB veteran, Alexander has a 3.52 ERA (3.69 FIP) in 27 appearances this season with 11 strikeouts and five walks in 23 innings pitched.

"It's exciting to have Scott back," Kapler said during his pregame media availability on Tuesday. "He's been pitching really well for us for quite some time. Always dependable. You know it's nice to have Taylor pitching so well, but when you have two seasoned, capable left-handed pitchers in your pen, it just gives you a lot of flexibility."

Johnson is one of the fastest and best defensive outfielders in the Giants organization but has found himself oscillating between Triple-A and the majors this season. A sixth-round pick back in the 2017 MLB Draft, Johnson is limited by below-average power but has produced at Triple-A. This season, he has a .313/.397/.516 line with four doubles, three home runs, and five stolen bases in 16 games with the River Cats. He has yet to translate that production to the majors, though, hitting .148/.209/.213 with a double, home run, five walks, and 22 strikeouts in 67 career MLB plate appearances.

The SF Giants have now optioned Bryce Johnson to the minor leagues four times this season. A player must be placed on waivers, where Johnson would likely be claimed by another team if they are optioned more than five times. While that limit could impact the organization's roster flexibility later this season, for now, it's the move they made to get Scott Alexander back into the bullpen.

Published Jul 4, 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).