SF Giants activate C Patrick Bailey from IL, option C Joey Bart to Triple-A

The SF Giants activated rookie catcher Patrick Bailey from the injured list on Wednesday, optioning catcher Joey Bart to Triple-A Sacramento.

Marc Delucchi | Sep 13, 2023

SF Giants activate C Patrick Bailey from IL, option C Joey Bart to Triple-A /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants activated rookie catcher Patrick Bailey from the injured list on Wednesday, optioning catcher Joey Bart to Triple-A Sacramento. Bailey had been placed on the seven-day concussion IL last week but had his symptoms clear up quickly, enabling him to be activated as soon as he was eligible. With San Francisco trying to climb its way back into the postseason picture, manager Gabe Kapler is happy to have his top catcher back in the lineup.

Bailey has arguably been the biggest surprise of the season for the Giants. While he was the team's first-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, his minor-league career got off to a rough start in 2021 and 2022, leading him to fall in most prospect rankings. Heading into this season, he was ranked the 21st-best prospect in the organization by Giants Baseball Insider.

However, after starting the season strong at Double-A he was quickly promoted to the highest level of the minors, and soon thereafter, got the big-league call when Bart went down with an injury. He got off to a scorching hot start at the plate, which paired with Gold Glove-caliber defense. Before he exhausted his prospect eligibility, he was a consensus top-two prospect in the organization for Giants Baseball Insider's midseason update.

Bailey's production at the plate has taken a significant hit since his first month in the majors. However, his .248/.308/.390 triple-slash with 17 doubles, a triple, and seven home runs is a perfectly respectable line for him, given all he contributes defensively. It's also a noteworthy upgrade over Bart, who has seemingly taken a step back at the plate this season.

In 95 big-league plate appearances, Bart is hitting just .207/.263/.264 with five doubles and zero home runs, a surprising lack of power from someone with Bart's power potential. At Triple-A, Bart has been better but less productive than his previous stints in the minors. He has hit .247/.357/.399 with 12 doubles and six home runs in 235 plate appearances.

Published Sep 13, 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).