Emmanuel Burriss, baseball player, first-round pick, and easy (if likable!) target is back with the Giants. If you thought the mere technicality of not being on the 40-man roster would hold him back, well, you don't know the powers of Burriss.

#SFGiants have recalled RHP Dan Otero, LHP Dan Runzler from triple-A. IF Emmanuel Burriss' contract has been purchaed from Fresno as well.

— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) September 4, 2012

Eric Hacker was designated for assignment to make room for Burriss, which has to be hard for Hacker. I think I'd prefer for the team to lie and say they're laying off all the players because of a corporate takeover rather than find out I was let go for Burriss. What a tough business.

As a pinch-runner/last-resort, Burriss is a way to prevent a Matt Cain pinch-hitting or pinch-running appearance, which is a good thing. He got 17 at-bats in the last month he was on a 25-man roster*. He'll get fewer this time. But that shouldn't stop you from unreasonable panic!

The real danger to the Giants' ability to win games is probably Runzler, who used to be included as a late-inning option for the Giants, but who was insanely wild in the minors this year. I'm half-scared that Bochy just remembers the former.

And I still believe in Otero, if somewhat less forcefully this time around.

^{* They were not good at-bats}