San Francisco Giants roster and schedule for 2020 season season

The 2020 MLB season is now a 60-game dash, starting on July 23 and ending, hopefully, with a full-size postseason in October. Between now and the start of the season, we’ll be giving quick capsule previews of each team, reminding you of where things stood back in Spring Training and where they stand now as we embark on what is sure to be the strangest season in baseball history. First up: The San Francisco Giants roster and schedule:

GIANTS ROSTER (projected)

When the season opens on July 23-24, teams can sport rosters of up to 30 players, with a minimum of 25. Two weeks later, rosters must be reduced to 28 and then, two weeks after that, they must be reduced to 26. Teams will be permitted to add a 27th player for doubleheaders.

In light of that, there is a great degree of latitude for which specific players will break summer camp. For now, though, here are who we expect to be on the Giants roster to begin the season:

Relievers:

Tony Watson
Trevor Gott
Tyler Rogers
Wandy Peralta
Andrew Triggs
Sam Coonrod
Dany Jiménez
Carlos Navas
Shaun Anderson
Rico Garcia

BREAKDOWN:

The Giants are without some key veteran players. Catcher Buster Posey elected not to play the 2020 season due to COVID-19. Third baseman Evan Longoria (oblique) and first baseman Brandon Belt (heel) will open the season on the disabled list. Otherwise, their roster is largely young and inexperienced. As such, the expectations aren’t high going into the abbreviated 2020 regular season.

Catching remains a fluid situation in San Francisco with Posey absent. All three of Tyler Heineman, Chadwick Tromp, and Rob Brantly could see time behind the dish, as each offers something the others do not. Pablo Sandoval will likely play both infield corners as needed along with Wilmer Flores. The Giants could also get creative with Darin Ruf, Austin Slater, and Donovan Solano. It’s not ideal.

The Giants will at least have some stability in the outfield with Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson, and Austin Slater. Speedster Billy Hamilton will rejoin the team during the season after missing the first two-plus weeks of training camp due to undisclosed medical reasons. Hunter Pence will handle the DH spot. Dickerson and Yastrzemski were the Giants’ best hitters last season; Pence was an All-Star with the Rangers.

Johnny Cueto leads the starting rotation and will get the Opening Day nod against the Dodgers on Thursday night. He’ll be followed by veterans Jeff Samardzija, Kevin Gausman, and Drew Smyly. The No. 5 spot is up in the air and, for that matter, the No. 4 spot is as well. The Giants piggybacked Smyly and Gausman during training camp, potentially previewing how they could be used during the regular season. The Giants have no shortage of other pitchers who could soak up innings in Logan Webb, Tyler Anderson, Dereck Rodríguez, Andrew Suárez, and Conner Menez.

Tony Watson will handle save opportunities out of the gate for the Giants. After eight years of dominance, Watson faltered in 2019, posting a 4.17 ERA over 54 innings in his age-34 season. He saw a significant decline in his strikeout rate, from 27.6% in 2018 to 17.8% last year. The rest of the bullpen is largely unproven and inexperienced. This could be a major stumbling block for a team expected to sit in the cellar of the NL West.

GIANTS SCHEDULE:

Every team will play 60 games. Teams will be playing 40 games against their own division rivals and 20 interleague games against the corresponding geographic division from the other league. Six of the 20 interleague games will be “rivalry” games.

July 23-26: @ Dodgers
July 28-30: vs. Padres
July 31-August 2: vs. Rangers
August 3-6: @ Rockies
August 7-9: @ Dodgers
August 10-12: @ Astros
August 14-16: vs. Athletics
August 17-18: @ Angels
August 19-20: vs. Angels
August 21-23: vs. Diamondbacks
August 25-27: vs. Dodgers
August 28-30: @ Diamondbacks
September 1-2: @ Rockies
September 4-7: vs. Diamondbacks
September 8-9: vs. Mariners
September 10-13: @ Padres
September 15-16: @ Mariners
September 18-20: @ Athletics
September 21-24: vs. Rockies
September 25-27: vs. Padres

The entire Giants schedule can be seen here.

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ATLANTA – Given a seven-run lead in the first inning, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider could relax and keep adding to his majors-leading strikeout total.

“That game felt like it was over pretty quick,” Strider said.

Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in three runs with four hits, including a two-run single in Atlanta’s seven-run first inning, and the Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-4 on Sunday night to split the four-game series.

“Getting a lead first is big, especially when you get that big of a lead,” Strider said. “… When we’re putting up runs, my job isn’t to be perfect. My job is to get outs.”

Following the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker announced right-hander Michael Soroka will be recalled to make his first start since the 2020 season on Monday night at Oakland.

Matt Olson hit a pair of two-run homers for Atlanta, and Strider became the fastest pitcher in modern history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season.

“It’s incredible,” said Acuña through a translator of Strider. “Every time he goes out to pitch it seems like he’s going to strike everybody out.”

Acuña hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth before Olson’s second homer to center. Acuña had two singles in the first when the Braves sent 11 batters to the plate, collected seven hits and opened a 7-0 lead. Led by Acuña and Olson, who had three hits, the Braves set a season high with 20 hits.

Strider (5-2) struck out nine while pitching six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander fired a called third strike past Nick Castellanos for the first out of the fourth, giving him 100 strikeouts in 61 innings and topping Jacob deGrom‘s 61 2/3 innings in 2021 as the fastest to 100 in the modern era.

“It’s cool,” Strider said, adding “hopefully it’ll keep going.”

Olson followed Acuña’s leadoff single with a 464-foot homer to right-center. Austin Riley added another homer before Ozzie Albies and Acuña had two-run singles in the long first inning.

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and left fielder Kyle Schwarber each committed an error on a grounder by Orlando Arcia, setting up two unearned runs in the inning.

Strider walked Kody Clemens to open the third. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run homer for the Phillies’ first hit. Schwarber hit a two-run homer off Collin McHugh in the seventh.

LEAPING CATCH

Michael Harris II celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major league debut by robbing Schwarber of a homer with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the second. As Harris shook his head to say “No!” after coming down with the ball on the warning track, Strider pumped his fist in approval on the mound – after realizing Harris had the ball.

“He put me through an emotional roller coaster for a moment,” Strider said.

SOROKA RETURNING TO ROTATION

Soroka was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, setting the stage for his final step in his comeback from two torn Achilles tendons.

“To get back is really a feather in that kid’s cap,” Snitker said.

Soroka will be making his first start in the majors since Aug. 3, 2020, against the New York Mets when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. Following a setback which required a follow-up surgery, he suffered another tear of the same Achilles tendon midway through the 2021 season.

Soroka suffered another complication in his comeback when a hamstring injury slowed his progress this spring.

Acuña said he was “super happy, super excited for him, super proud of him” and added “I’m just hoping for continued good health.”

Soroka looked like an emerging ace when he finished 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019 and placed second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

The Braves are 0-3 in bullpen committee games as they attempt to overcome losing two key starters, Max Fried (strained left forearm) and Kyle Wright (right shoulder inflammation) to the injured list in early May. Each is expected to miss at least two months.

RHP Dereck Rodriguez, who gave up one hit in two scoreless innings, was optioned to Gwinnett after the game to clear a roster spot for Soroka.

QUICK EXIT

Phillies right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1), claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, didn’t make it through the first inning. Covey allowed seven runs, five earned, and six hits, including the homers by Olson and Riley.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: 3B Alex Bohm was held out with hamstring tightness. … LHP José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw the bullpen session originally scheduled for Saturday. Manager Rob Thomson said there was no report that Alvarado, who was placed on the injured list on May 10, had any difficulty.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Following an off day, LHP Ranger Suárez (0-1, 9.82 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Kodai Senga (4-3, 3.94 ERA) in Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series in New York.

Braves: Soroka was 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA in eight games with Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed a combined four hits and two runs over 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts. RHP Paul Blackburn (7-6, 4.28 ERA in 2022) is scheduled to make his 2023 debut for Oakland as he returns from a finger injury.

GIANTS ROSTER (projected)

Catchers:

Infielders:

Outfielders:

Starters:

Relievers:

BREAKDOWN:

GIANTS SCHEDULE: