SF Giants C Joey Bart begins rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento

The SF Giants should be welcoming catcher Joey Bart back to the roster soon after they sent him on a rehab assignment to Triple-A on Friday.

Marc Delucchi | Jun 3, 2023

SF Giants C Joey Bart begins rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants sent catcher Joey Bart to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday to begin a rehab assignment. Bart has been on the injured list with a right groin strain since the middle of May but appears to be nearing a return. Bart caught for five innings in a River Cats victory against the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners Triple-A affiliate) on Friday night and went 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

SF Giants pitching coach Andrew Bailey (left) confers with catcher Joey Bart (21) and starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) during the second inning at Oracle Park on May 16, 2023. — SF Giants coach Andrew Bailey, catcher Joey Bart, and pitcher Alex Cobb (left to right) have a meeting on the mound at Oracle Park. (2023) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

When Bart does return to the Giants active roster, he will be joining a new catching group that is now headlined by recent call-up Patrick Bailey (Giants #21 prospect). Bart entered the season in a timeshare with veteran offseason acquisition Roberto Pérez and Rule 5 pick Blake Sabol (Giants #33 prospect). While Pérez suffered a season-ending injury and Sabol struggled with inconsistency defensively, Bart struggled to stay on the field.

Bart began the season out with a mild back strain that eventually pushed him to the injured list. Shortly after he returned, he was forced to sit out for a few games with groin tightness. While he returned to the field, less than a month later, he suffered the groin injury that currently has him on the injured list.

Bart has been good defensively this season, taking a notable step forward with his framing, which currently ranks among the best in the league. However, the same cannot be said of his performance at the plate. The former second-overall pick has drastically cut his strikeout rate this season, but his plus power has been fairly nonexistent. So far this season, Bart is hitting just .231/.286/.295 with five doubles in 84 plate appearances.

Bailey has hit the ground running since his promotion to the majors and is clearly an organizational favorite. So, since it seems unlikely that the Giants will demote him upon Bart's return, they likely will enter a platoon (Bailey is a switch-hitter with a much better track record hitting left-handed against right-handed pitching) where Bailey starts against right-handed starters, and Bart starts against southpaws.

It has been a rough road for Bart during his Giants tenure. Injuries in particular have consistently created roadblocks in his development. Yet, still just 26, there is time for the former Georgia Tech star to unlock some of his untapped potential. Granted, with the emergence of Patrick Bailey, it's worth wondering if Joey Bart will be a member of the SF Giants organization beyond this season.

Published Jun 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).