Giants reportedly sign Ruben Tejada, pending physical

The Giants are down two backup infielders, and while that shouldn’t be a long-term problem, they’re making precautions. According to KNBR.com’s Connor Grossman, the Giants have signed Ruben Tejada to a minor-league deal.

The 26-year-old Tejada is most famous for having his leg broken by Chase Utley in the 2015 postseason. The Mets declined to offer him arbitration after the injury, and he didn't stick with the Cardinals earlier this season, hitting .176/.225/.235 in 40 plate appearances.

Tejada is a career .258/.328/.322 hitter over seven major league seasons, and his defense is below-average at short, but he hasn’t had a typical career. The Mets brought him up to be a backup/utility player at 20, and he never really had a full-time job. While that’s not to say that he would have been an All-Star with two or three more years of minor-league seasoning, it was definitely an unusual handling of a young player.

Odds that the Giants eventually use Tejada in the majors: Fair. He was starting for a pennant-winning team last year, and he's a veteran player, albeit one of the younger ones you’ll find. If he shakes off some rust in Sacramento, he’ll be a possibility in the event of another roster opening.