SF Giants outfielder prospect begins milb rehab assignment at Single-A

Former SF Giants first-round pick Heliot Ramos returned to the field in a minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday at Single-A San Jose.

The SF Giants sent outfielder Heliot Ramos (preseason Giants #17 prospect) to Single-A San Jose on Wednesday to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. Ramos is currently on the 60-day injured list and is not eligible to be activated for 20 more days. However, a player is allowed to begin a rehab assignment 20 days prior to their activation. Ramos started at center field and finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout before he was lifted from the game after five innings, a common practice early in rehab stints.

SF Giants OF Heliot Ramos poses for a portrait at Scottsdale Stadium. (2023) / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ramos has hit .192/.222/.269 with a pair of doubles, a walk, and eight strikeouts in 27 plate appearances in the majors this season, during his stint with the big-league club. Unsurprisingly, he was more productive, although still below-average, at Triple-A and posted a .262/.333/.385 with two doubles, two home runs, six stolen bases (eight attempts), six walks, and 14 strikeouts in 75 plate appearances before he landed on the injured list.

The Giants drafted Ramos in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Leadership Christian Academy, a high school in Puerto Rico. Still 17 at the time he was drafted, Ramos hit the ground running in the Arizona Rookie League and quickly emerged as a consensus top-100 prospect. After a down year in his first taste of full-season ball the following year, Ramos delivered a breakout 2019 campaign.

As a 19-year-old, Ramos reached Double-A and even turned in a slightly above-average .242/.321/.421 line in his first taste of the upper minors. Ramos spent the 2020 campaign at the Giants' alternate site in place of the minor-league season, which was canceled in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since returning, Ramos' prospect stock began to plateau before collapsing last year. While Ramos made his big-league debut in 2022, he did so in spite of an underwhelming .227/.305/.349 triple-slash at Triple-A.

The biggest problem facing Ramos is his inability to get the ball in the air. He's actually posted above-average strikeout rates with solid walk rates alongside impressive exit velocities. However, he's been unable to turn that hard contact into extra-base hits. He did seem to show some signs of progress early in the season but still has a long way to go.

Expectations for Heliot Ramos have steadily declined over the past few years for the former SF Giants first-round pick. Despite his struggles, he remains just 23 years old with more than 1,100 plate appearances in the upper minors. The team will hope to use his minor-league rehab assignment to help him take another step forward at the plate.