SF Giants recall pitcher Sean Hjelle from Triple-A for doubleheader against Brewers

With an extra roster spot for their doubleheader against the Brewers, the SF Giants added right-handed pitching prospect Sean Hjelle.
SF Giants recall pitcher Sean Hjelle from Triple-A for doubleheader against Brewers
SF Giants recall pitcher Sean Hjelle from Triple-A for doubleheader against Brewers /
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The SF Giants recalled right-handed pitcher Sean Hjelle from Triple-A Sacramento prior to the start of their doubleheaders against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. MLB teams are given an extra roster spot when they have a doubleheader, and the Giants opted to add another arm to help alleviate the pressure on their bullpen, which has been used quite a lot this week. Hjelle will likely be asked to give manager Gabe Kapler some innings in the second game today.

Hjelle has been fine at Triple-A this season, posting a 4.92 ERA in 97 innings pitched (22 starts) with 80 strikeouts and 38 walks. He has also made three appearances with the Giants this season, allowing six runs in six innings. Still, it's worth noting that the Giants recently shifted Hjelle's usage, having him throw just two innings (32 pitches in his last outing).

SF Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle throws a pitch. (2022)
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Hjelle was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2018 draft, headlining that year's class alongside Joey Bart. A nearly seven-foot tall righty out of the University of Kentucky, Hjelle has always relied on a low-90s fastball and curveball, rarely racking up big strikeout numbers.

Hjelle moved through the minors fairly quickly, reaching Double-A by the end of his first full minor-league season in 2019. Obviously the canceled minor-league season in 2020 through a wrench in Hjelle's development, but he picked up where he left off in 2021. Last year, Hjelle had a 3.15 ERA in 14 starts at Double-A Richmond with 69 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched against just 19 walks before he was promoted to Triple-A. He struggled once reaching the highest level of the minors, though, finishing the year with a 5.74 ERA in 10 starts with Sacramento.

Throughout his career, Hjelle has struggled after the first time through the lineup, leading many scouts to believe his future would be in the bullpen, perhaps as a multi-inning long reliever. Considering how effective he was in an abbreviated outing earlier this week (two innings, two hits, one walk, no runs, and five strikeouts), it's easy to see how that transition could be in the works.

With that said, the SF Giants may have also known at that point in time that they would call on Sean Hjelle today. Since he was scheduled to start four days ago, they might have purposely limited his pitch count so they would be comfortable asking him to pitch on shorter than normal rest in Milwaukee.


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Marc Delucchi
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).