SF Giants recall INF David Villar, place 2B Thairo Estrada on IL

The SF Giants have placed emerging star Thairo Estrada on the injured list, recalling infielder David Villar from Triple-A Sacramento.

Marc Delucchi | May 27, 2023

SF Giants recall INF David Villar, place 2B Thairo Estrada on IL /

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San Francisco Giants

Prior to their afternoon game on Saturday, the SF Giants placed second baseman Thairo Estrada on the injured list with a left wrist sprain. With a spot open on the active roster, the Giants recalled power-hitting infielder David Villar from Triple-A Sacramento. Estrada has been out of the lineup over the past couple of days, hoping his wrist injury would subside. However, the team has opted to give him a more prolonged rest on the injured list.

SF Giants infielder David Villar hits a double against the Cubs. — SF Giants infielder David Villar gets a hit against the Cubs. (2022) / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Villar, the Giants 11th round pick back in 2018, began turning heads as a prospect in the second half of the 2021 season at Double-A Richmond. Last year, he was the best player in the Pacific Coast League, hitting .275/.404/.617 with 27 home runs in 84 games at Triple-A. With those robust offensive numbers, Villar received two stints with the Giants. While he struggled in his big-league debut, he came on strong in September and finished his rookie campaign with nine home runs in 52 games alongside a solid .231/.331/.455 triple-slash.

The Giants made clear that third base was Villar's job to lose entering this season. Villar struggled in spring training but got off to a hot early start to the season with an early two-homer game. However, that did not last long. In 100 plate appearances with the Giants this season, Villar hit .148/.240/.318 with four home runs while J.D. Davis emerged as an above-average defensive third baseman and one of the best hitters on the team. With playing time hard to come by, Villar was optioned to Triple-A. Since returning to the minors, Villar has hit .250/.400/.500 with two home runs and nearly as many walks (7) as strikeouts (8) in eight games (35 plate appearances).

Estrada was once a top prospect with the New York Yankees but appeared to plateau as a depth infield piece. The Giants capitalized on the Bronx Bombers' skepticism and acquired Estrada in a minor trade for cash considerations early in the 2021 season. He quickly proved to be a valuable platoon infielder. Last season, Estrada emerged as San Francisco's primary second baseman. However, so far this season, Estrada has looked like an emerging star.

So far this season, Estrada ranks second in MLB among qualified second baseman in fWAR (1.9) trailing only Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien. Estrada is hitting .301/.345/.466 with 12 doubles, a triple, and six home runs. He also leads the Giants with 13 stolen bases. Estrada will be first eligible to come off the injured list on June 5th.

With Thairo Estrada out, the SF Giants will likely turn to a platoon of David Villar and Brett Wisely (Giants #22 prospect) at second base. Recent call-up Casey Schmitt (Giants #3 prospect) could also shift over to the keystone for veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford on occasion as well.

Published May 27, 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).