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Hello and happy Thursday.
Brandon Belt made his spring debut on Wednesday, after an offseason in which he dealt with heel surgery, the coronavirus, and mono. He struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the San Francisco Giants game against the San Diego Padres, but the outcome didn’t matter. What mattered is that he was on the field. Or at least in the batter’s box.
He’s hoping to actually be on the field for Thursday’s game.
Belt believes he is playing in tomorrow’s game.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) March 25, 2021
The good news for Belt is that, after a brutal double sickness, he seems to be feeling well. The bad news is that, for very understandable reasons, he doesn’t yet have his baseball groove.
Brandon Belt: "Physically, I feel good. At the plate, I feel God awful."
— Maria I. Guardado (@mi_guardado) March 25, 2021
So now the race is on to see if Belt will be ready for Opening Day on April 1 against the Seattle Mariners. A week is not much to get your timing, but Belt is optimistic that, at the very least, he’ll be close.
Brandon Belt said he's not 100% sure if he'll be ready to go by Opening Day, but he thinks he'll be pretty close by April 1.
— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) March 25, 2021
Said he thinks he'll be in the lineup tomorrow and is eager to get on the field.
The Giants optioned Jason Vosler on Wednesday. Given that Vosler seemed the likely candidate to replace Belt if he had an extended absence, it would seem that the Giants are confident that their All-Star first baseman will be ready pretty soon.
Old, random MCC article for you to read
Giants news: No plans for a sixth starter, Tim Lincecum sat on his glasses (Jan. 31, 2014 — Grant Brisbee)
Giants links
- Roger Munter looks at under the radar prospects Dilan Rosario and Ghordy Santos (There R Giants)
- Grant Brisbee lists six Spring Training stats that actually mean something (The Athletic, subscription required)
- Susan Slusser on why the Giants have opted for so many left-handed pitchers in the bullpen (SF Chronicle)
- Kerry Crowley’s Wednesday observations include thoughts on Anthony DeSclafani’s strong start (Mercury News)
- Alex Pavlovic on five Spring Training stats that might impact the regular season (NBC Sports Bay Area)
How many days until Opening Day?
There are 7 days until Opening Day. In case you were not aware, there are also 7 days in a week. In other words, there is a week until Opening Day.
Brace yourselves. And have a helluva Thursday.