SF Giants recall versatile left-handed bat, place 2B Thairo Estrada on IL

The SF Giants placed second baseman Thairo Estrada on the 10-day injured list and recalled Brett Wisely from Triple-A Sacramento.

Marc Delucchi | Jul 3, 2023

SF Giants recall versatile left-handed bat, place 2B Thairo Estrada on IL /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants placed second baseman Thairo Estrada on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left hand on Monday, recalling versatile position player Brett Wisely from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Estrada was hit on the hand. Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Estrada was slated to get a scan on his hand during his pregame media availability prior to the decision. Clearly, the results of the scan were worse than the Giants had hoped.

SF Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada gets ready to throw to first base. (2023) / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Estrada was once a top prospect with the New York Yankees but was usurped by other players in the organization and seemed to plateau as a depth infield piece. The Giants capitalized on a Bronx Bombers' roster crunch and acquired Estrada in a minor trade for cash considerations that ranks among the best moves of Farhan Zaidi's tenure.

Estrada quickly proved to be a valuable platoon infielder but became the team's starting second baseman last season. This year, he looked like an emerging star early in the season. Despite a recent slump at the plate, Estrada is still hitting .272/.327/.434 with 18 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, and a team-leading 18 stolen bases this season.

The Giants acquired Wisely in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason for outfielder prospect Tristan Peters. Wisely has hit .195/.230/.317 with four doubles, two home runs, four walks, and 24 strikeouts in 88 plate appearances in the majors this season. However, at Triple-A, Wisely has recorded a .301/.436/.522 triple-slash in 144 plate appearances with 13 doubles and four home runs with 25 walks and 37 strikeouts.

A career infielder Wisely has easily transitioned to the outfield this season giving Kapler a left-handed bat capable of handling second base, shortstop, or center field defensively. In Giants Baseball Insider's updated prospect rankings, Wisely was ranked the 20th and 22nd best prospect in the organization.

Thairo Estrada has emerged as a key component of the SF Giants lineup this season, and his absence will be felt. However, it's worth noting that the All-Star break would allow Estrada to be activated after missing just six games. The Giants are also slated to face a trio of right-handed pitchers against the Mariners, which should give Brett Wisely some opportunities with a platoon advantage.

Published Jul 3, 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).