SF Giants recall outfielder Bryce Johnson, option RHP Sean Hjelle

The SF Giants recalled outfielder Bryce Johnson from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, optioning right-handed pitcher Sean Hjelle.

Marc Delucchi | Jun 22, 2023

SF Giants recall outfielder Bryce Johnson, option RHP Sean Hjelle /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants recalled outfielder Bryce Johnson and optioned right-handed pitcher Sean Hjelle (Giants preseason #28 prospect) to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Johnson was called upon after outfielder Mike Yastrzemski left Wednesday night's game with hamstring tightness. While the team is optimistic Yastrzemski can avoid a stint on the injured list, that forced them to look elsewhere to create a spot on the roster. So Hjelle, who threw four shutout innings in Wednesday's game, was the obvious candidate.

SF Giants outfielder Bryce Johnson taking a swing. (2022) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson is one of the fastest players in the Giants organization. Johnson's athleticism is a big reason he has consistently been one of the best defenders and baserunners in the organization since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft.

A switch-hitter, Johnson's upside is limited by below-average power. However, he has shown improved productivity over the past two seasons at Triple-A. This season, he has a .313/.397/.516 line with four doubles, three home runs, and five stolen bases in 16 games with the Sacramento River Cats.

Still, Johnson has struggled to match his minor-league production in his brief MLB stints. In 63 career big-league plate appearances, Johnson has posted a .155/.227/.275 triple-slash with a double and home run.

Hjelle has now been optioned three times this season, bringing him closer to the maximum (five) times a player can be optioned in a season before they must be exposed to waivers. Hjelle struggled mightily early in the season and still has a 7.79 ERA after his excellent outing on Wednesday, but more advanced numbers suggest he has suffered from some bad luck (5.52 xERA, 4.03 FIP, 4.23 xFIP).

Hjelle was still with the team prior to the game on Tuesday, suggesting he could be returning to the big-league roster before the end of the week when Yastrzemski is able to play again. If he does return to Sacramento, though, he would presumably rejoin the starting rotation. Hjelle has a 4.09 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A this season with 26 strikeouts and 10 walks in 33 innings pitched.

Published Jun 22, 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).