PHOENIX — Bryce Eldridge was strolling by way of safety on Sunday night time on the Will Rogers Worldwide Airport in Oklahoma Metropolis when his telephone, residing in a safety tray, lit up. Thomas Gavello, Eldridge’s teammate with Triple-A Sacramento, really useful he take the decision.
On the opposite line was Sacramento’s supervisor, Dave Brundage. Eldridge was conscious that Dominic Smith, the Giants’ greatest defensive first baseman, just lately sustained an harm that can doubtless finish his common season. Nonetheless, Eldridge saved his give attention to his job with the River Cats.
“It wasn’t really in my head at all,” Eldridge stated Monday. “Then I got the call while I was in security. I saw my phone and kind of figured that was what was going on with the timing and everything.”
“He’s here to help us win games,” stated Buster Posey, Giants president of baseball operations. “With Dom going down and missing that lefty bat, we felt like it fit nicely with our lineup. … He’s had a nice stretch where he’s been productive and we hope he continues it here.”
The final 24 hours have been fairly hectic for the Giants’ high prospect, who arrived at Chase Area with none of his typical gear on account of last-minute journey preparations. Eldridge did get pleasure from his automobile being parked at Papago Park, the place some bats, cleats, and batting gloves have been saved.
Eldridge’s mom, Beth Kenney, missed her son’s first two calls, and Eldridge quipped that he can’t bear in mind the final time she missed a name.
“We’re going to use those for tonight and make do with what we got,” Eldridge stated.
Eldridge joins the Giants at an important juncture of their season.
With 13 video games remaining, San Francisco entered Monday’s sport with the Arizona Diamondbacks 1.5 video games again of the New York Mets for the third and last Nationwide League wild card spot. Ought to the Giants make the playoffs, Eldridge might be eligible for the postseason roster.
It’s not precisely a tender touchdown for the 20-year-old, however the Giants imagine Eldridge is supplied for the problem.
“I think he has the type of personality where he’ll probably embrace this environment,” Posey stated. “He’s not going to be a guy that’s going to shy away from having some really big at-bats for us.”
“From the first time I met him, he didn’t really seem like anything overwhelmed him too much,” supervisor Bob Melvin stated. “We saw that in spring training as well. … There’s a calmness about him, there’s a confidence about him. I think all that plays into evaluating whether or not we wanted to get him here.”
The Giants received’t put an excessive amount of on the rookie’s plate, limiting the scope of Eldridge’s duties to being the designated hitter in opposition to right-handed pitching. San Francisco confronted Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen on Monday and can see fellow right-hander Brandon Pfaadt on Wednesday.
Eldridge, the sixteenth general decide within the 2023 MLB draft, definitely has the potential to influence the Giants’ offense.
Over 102 video games with Sacramento and Double-A Richmond, Eldridge posted a slash line of .260/.333/.510 with 25 dwelling runs and 84 RBIs regardless of lacking time on account of wrist and hamstring accidents. There’s a truthful quantity of whiff in Eldridge’s sport — he has struck out in about 30 p.c of his plate appearances this season — however Posey pointed to the rookie’s elite high quality of contact.
“I think he’s got the highest hard-hit rate in all of Minor League Baseball or Triple-A,” Posey stated. “There’s probably going to be some swing-and-miss, but he’s also going to make some really loud contact.”
“All the reports are that he’s swinging the bat really well right now, and we’re looking to increase some production,” Melvin stated.
In the interim, the Giants will doubtless keep away from enjoying Eldridge at first base as he continues studying the trivialities of the place. Rafael Devers, who can be new to first base, isn’t the identical caliber of defender as Smith, however he’s held his personal general, regardless of some rising pains.
“I think I could go out and play an above-average first base in the big leagues. That’s how I feel,” Eldridge stated. “I think a lot of people downplay, maybe not the work I’ve done on defense, but how well I think I’ve done on defense. I think I’ve had a great year over there. I’ve just been working my tail off to get better every day. I think any of the coaches who I’ve been with this year would tell you that I played a good first base over there.”
Added Posey: “He’s continuing to get better. Look, you’re never a finished product, no matter if you win multiple Gold Gloves or you’re still working to get better. I think that’s the same for him: just continue to keep working.”
Initially Revealed: September 15, 2025 at 7:04 PM PDT
