SF Giants activate OF Michael Conforto from IL, option rookie to Triple-A

The SF Giants activated outfielder Michael Conforto from the IL on Friday, optioning rookie infielder Casey Schmitt to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Marc Delucchi | Sep 15, 2023

SF Giants activate OF Michael Conforto from IL, option rookie to Triple-A /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants finally activated outfielder Michael Conforto from the injured list on Friday, prior to their four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Conforto had been on the injured list since late August when he went down with a left hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, the Giants optioned rookie infielder Casey Schmitt to Triple-A Sacramento.

SF Giants designated hitter Michael Conforto rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning at Oracle Park on August 12, 2023. — SF Giants DH Michael Conforto runs the bases against the Rangers. (2023) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Conforto has been a mild disappointment with the Giants this season. After signing a two-year, $36 million deal in free agency last winter, Conforto and San Francisco hoped he could rekindle his early-career form. Instead, he has been a fairly average producer at the plate, hitting .251/.343/.405 with 12 doubles and 15 home runs in 111 games. Moreover, most of his homer production came during a scorching hot two-week span in May.

Still, Conforto has one of the best track records on the Giants roster and gives manager Gabe Kapler another formidable bat to deploy in the starting lineup or as a pinch-hitter late in games.

Conforto's contract does include a player option for the 2024 season, which seems likely to be declined. However, with a dearth of top hitters slated to hit free agency this offseason, it's not inconceivable that Conforto could catch fire and position himself to opt out.

Schmitt has had an up-and-down season with the Giants this year. He made his big-league debut and quickly caught fire before falling into a tremendous slump that led him to be demoted. In his most recent stint, though, Schmitt was showing some promise at the plate with several impressive at-bats. However, it seems like the team prefers Paul DeJong's more consistent defense at shortstop over Schmitt's upside at the moment.

The SF Giants are currently in a tightly contested race for the final National League Wild Card spot. With less than 20 games remaining, they are looking for all the help they can get. Now that Michael Conforto is healthy once again, the team is arguably healthier than they have been all season. That should go a long way toward helping them punch their ticket to the postseason.

Published Sep 15, 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).