SF Giants place C Joey Bart on injured list, recall RHP Sean Hjelle

After he was scratched from the lineup on Saturday, catcher Joey Bart was placed on the injured list. The SF Giants also recalled righty Sean Hjelle.

Marc Delucchi | Apr 2, 2023

SF Giants place C Joey Bart on injured list, recall RHP Sean Hjelle /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants placed Joey Bart on the 10-day injured list with a mild back strain prior to the team's game against the Yankees on Sunday. In a corresponding roster move, they recalled right-handed pitcher Sean Hjelle (Giants #28 prospect) from Triple-A Sacramento. Bart was expected to make his season debut on Saturday but was scratched from the lineup with back tightness.

SF Giants catcher Joey Bart and Dodgers slugger Max Muncy watch a home run. (2022) / Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The timing of Bart's absence is particularly untimely for the former second-overall pick. Bart has faced mounting pressure to live up to the lofty expectations that come with being a high draft pick and top prospect.

Earlier this week, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi publicly said the team needs more from Bart this season. Then, the Giants signed two-time All-Star catcher Gary Sánchez to a minor-league deal. The Sánchez signing fueled speculation that San Francisco plans to move on from Bart at some point this season. Now with Bart on the injured list, Sánchez's call-up to the Giants could be expedited.

Bart made his big-league debut during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. Clearly overmatched by MLB pitching, striking out 41 times in 111 plate appearances with zero home runs and just three walks. After spending most of 2021 at Triple-A, Bart was expected to solidify the starting backstop job last season. Instead, he struggled with consistency and was even optioned to the minors.

Bart showed off his impressive power on several occasions last season, blasting 11 home runs in 297 plate appearances. However, his issues with contact continued to generate prolonged slumps. He finished the season with 112 strikeouts and a .215/.296/.364 triple-slash.

Hjelle was a standout prospect during spring training, recording a 1.59 ERA across 17 innings pitched with 22 strikeouts and 3 walks. However, the depth of starting pitching options already on the roster led the Giants to have him start the season in Triple-A. Nevertheless, Bart's injury gave them an opportunity to add Hjelle to manager Gabe Kapler's pitching staff.

For the time being, the SF Giants will now roll with Roberto Pérez and Blake Sabol (Giants #33 prospect) as the team's catchers, which is a significant bet on Sabol's defensive potential behind the plate. If Sabol is unable to hold his own, Sánchez or Austin Wynns could be added to the roster.

Published Apr 2, 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).