SAN FRANCISCO – With several key players still missing from their starting lineup, the Giants plan to bring in rookie Hayden Birdsong to make his MLB debut Wednesday.
Manager Bob Melvin made the announcement before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park, saying the team has high expectations for the 22-year-old right-hander.
“We’re excited about it,” Melvin said. “In my opinion, he’s going to have a long major league career. It’s probably going to start a little sooner than we expected because the need is great and he probably has the best pitchers down there. I think that’s why the decision was made.”
The Giants did not have a fully healthy rotation for most of the season, with reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and newcomer Robbie Ray, as well as holdovers Alex Cobb and Keaton Winn, missing multiple games due to various injuries.
Birdsong, a sixth-round pick in 2022, is one of the Giants’ most promising pitchers. He began the season in Double-A Richmond, where he went 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA. Using a wide repertoire of pitches, Birdsong posted 61 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings.
He was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on June 15 and continued to impress, posting 14 strikeouts in nine innings in two starts. Birdsong threw 91 pitches in his last start with the River Cats, so he has the ability to get deep into games.
“His two starts at Triple-A have been good,” Melvin said. “He can throw more than you’d expect from a starter. You have to take some risks when you have a guy who was just at Triple-A. He’s a young guy and very talented.”
Birdsong spent some time with the Giants during spring training, so Melvin and the team were already familiar with him before seeing him work in the minor leagues.
“When you look at his bullpens, you can see he has real starter stuff and talent,” Melvin said. “He’s young, but it’s pretty exciting to think about him getting a chance to start, especially here at home.”
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