Fans of the San Francisco Giants have been anticipating what Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos may do in 2024 with a long look. With a recent spate of injuries in the outfield, it may happen sooner than anticipated.
A number of outfield players have been placed on the disabled list in the past week. Michael Conforto had a hamstring injury, while Austin Slater suffered a concussion. In addition, Jung Hoo Lee could miss some time due to an injury sustained during Sunday’s 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds when he crashed into the wall.
According to MLB.Com’s Maria Guardado, the rookie outfielder suffered a dislocated shoulder. His comeback has not been scheduled, but it is probable that he will end up on the injured list. Jorge Soler was placed on the injured list not too long ago.
Although Soler may have seen time in the outfield if necessary, he had spent the most of the season as the team’s designated hitter.
Every outfield option available to the Giants on their 40-man roster has been used. Since the beginning of the season, Wade Meckler has been listed as injured due to an unspecified ailment. This opens the door for Ramos, Matos, and Mike Yastrzemski to line up in an outfield arrangement.
Although there isn’t much depth in the outfield, the Giants may have enough coverage to get by. In the outfield, Brett Wisely, Tyler Fitzgerald, Blake Sabol, and Thairo Estrada have all gained experience.
They might not need to take similar action to address the outfield if Lee is placed on the disabled list. It’s not like they have anything to choose from right now.
Giants supporters have long called for the team to dedicate itself to a youth initiative, and the current round of injuries is forcing them to do so to some extent. In 134 plate appearances, Ramos slashed.296/.388/.565 (131 wRC+) with an 11.9 percent walk rate, 27.6 percent strikeout rate, and a.270 ISO. He got off to a sizzling start in Triple-A.
It was getting harder to write his figures off as a tiny sample or disregard them.
Since the latter part of the previous campaign, the 24-year-old outfielder with Sacramento has been on a roll. He did not receive a long look from the club last year, despite this. That season was full with disappointments, including this one.
After being called up, Ramos has amassed five hits in his first 16 at-bats with the Giants. In addition, he has produced a number of excellent outfield plays.
With Sacramento in 2024, the 22-year-old outfielder had three home runs and a.663 OPS in 143 plate appearances.
The Giants have no better choices, but it is significantly below-average offensive performance in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
You want to see a player demand a promotion based on their performance, and Matos in 2024 hasn’t shown that. He did, however, have a 1.030 OPS in 152 Triple-A games one year ago. There is possibility.
For Matos and Ramos alike, this might be a pivotal moment. When their names are called, young athletes must be prepared, and this is the moment for both players. While they might not displace someone on the roster, if they leave a good impression now, they can both argue that they should be in the team’s long-term plans.
