Tuesday BP: Injury updates, get your injury updates

Happy Tuesday, San Francisco Giants fans.

Today is a new day, thankfully. The Giants have scored four runs in their last four games which, shockingly, they’ve won none of. The Giants have gone 18 innings without a run. They’ve also gone 18 innings without a runner reaching third base. Hell, they’ve gone 11 innings without a runner reaching second base.

It’s grim out here, folks.

But reinforcements are on the way, though I’m not sure that actually helps right now. Prior to Monday’s exceptionally feckless loss to the Chicago Cubs, the Giants released fairly sparse updates on three players.

The big news is that right-handed pitchers Ross Stripling and John Brebbia seem ready to be activated. Both players traveled with the Giants to Chicago, which means their rehab appearances are over. Brebbia, who has been out since mid-June, pitched twice for AAA Sacramento, tossing an inning on both Wednesday and Friday. He also pitched an inning in the Complex League back on August 16.

Stripling, out for just three weeks, made one rehab appearance for Sacramento, throwing an inning on Friday. With bullpen games expected today and tomorrow, it seems likely that one or both players will be activated today.

How to make space for them becomes an issue. Since the team is currently using the maximum of 14 pitchers, they’ll have to make roster space for both at the expense of pitchers. Optioning Keaton Winn seems like an obvious choice. Optioning Tristan Beck might be the other move, though it would be a little disappointing if one bad outing against an obscenely talented team was the difference between the Giants thinking Beck was part of the rotation and thinking he should go back to Sacramento. Perhaps someone will head to the IL?

Also of issue is that a spot on the 40-man roster needs to be cleared for Brebbia, since he was on the 60-day Injured List. The Giants could kill two birds with one stone by clearing space on both the active and 40-man rosters with a DFA of Scott Alexander who, in his last 11 games, has given up 18 hits and 10 runs in just nine innings. But that doesn’t seem likely. Instead, I’m guessing that A.J. Pollock will either be DFA’d or transferred to the 60-day IL.

Due to return sometime soon as well is outfielder Michael Conforto. Rather than be in Sacramento or at the facilities in Arizona or San Francisco, Conforto is traveling with the team, though this seems more about him wanting to be around the team than being ready to play. We might still be a week or two off.

While it’s been a disappointing season for Conforto, he was one of just five Giants to hit better than league average in August, per wRC+ (the others: Wilmer Flores, Heliot Ramos, Patrick Bailey, and Mike Yastrzemski, who played just two games). His return will be greatly appreciated. Barring an injury, I’d assume that when he returns Wade Meckler will be optioned, though the Giants could instead go heavy on outfielders and cut ties with Paul DeJong. Seems unlikely since the Giants don’t have any available middle infield insurance options on the 40-man roster (Marco Luciano, Brett Wisely, and Mark Mathias are all injured, though that could change by the time Conforto is healthy).

In conclusion, play better, Giants. I’m begging you.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants will try and find a way to score a run against the Cubs this afternoon at 4:40 p.m. PT.