Giants activate Crawford off IL, receive great news on Winn
SAN FRANCISCO -- Brandon Crawford wasn't activated in time to face Kutter Crawford on Friday night, but a few hours later, he was back in the mix for the Giants.
Crawford came off the IL and should be back in the starting lineup on Sunday, with the Giants optioning Brett Wisely back to Triple-A Sacramento to open up a roster spot. With a left-hander on the mound for the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, Marco Luciano got a third consecutive start at short.
Wisely struck out in a big spot on Friday night, lowering his average to .175 and OPS to .497 in 51 appearances this season. Manager Gabe Kapler met with Wisely before batting practice and put an emphasis on working on pitch selection. Wisely struck out in one-third of his big league plate appearances, too often swinging at breaking balls in the dirt or fastballs up and away.
"Swing decisions are going to be a big point of emphasis for Wise going forward," Kapler said. "I've said all along and I'll continue to say it, he's plenty talented to make an impact at the Major League level long-term. He's just a young, developing player that hasn't had much upper-level experience, and the time was right to get Craw back on the roster."
The Giants have struggled offensively with Wisely and fellow rookie Casey Schmitt getting most of the at-bats at second and short, but they should soon be back to full strength. Kapler said a rehab assignment for Thairo Estrada "is not all that far off." It's still possible the Giants add depth before Tuesday's trade deadline, too.
--- Keaton Winn already has had Tommy John surgery once, so there was a lot of concern on Friday when the Giants announced that he was dealing with right elbow soreness. But Winn had an MRI that showed no structural damage.
Winn is dealing with some inflammation, but the Giants are hoping that can get taken care of relatively quickly. When the rookie right-hander was sent back to Triple-A, Kapler said he anticipated Winn having a big impact in the second half. He said Saturday that he still expects to see Winn back at the big league level this season.
--- Mitch Haniger hit off a tee on Saturday and is progressing quickly after an X-ray earlier in the week showed that his fractured right forearm has healed. The Giants originally expected to get Haniger back in early September, but the outfielder said he thinks he'll be available well before the end of next month. Haniger is eligible to come off the IL on August 13.
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Source: NBC Sports Bay Area
