Harrison Bader was activated from the 10-Day Injured List on Monday afternoon, giving the San Francisco Giants a needed outfield bat just hours before they opened a four-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Giants also called up right-handed reliever Tristan Beck and optioned Dylan Smith and Logan Porter to Triple-A Sacramento. Beck is being brought up for the first time this season after posting a 5.40 ERA and a 3.15 FIP in Triple-A, while Bader returned after six rehab games with Sacramento.
Bader went 4-for-18 in those rehab games with two home runs, three walks, five strikeouts and one stolen base. Before landing on the injured list, he was 6-for-52 with one home run, one double, two walks and 17 strikeouts, a stretch that left the Giants looking for any offensive spark they could find.
They also needed help on the mound. San Francisco used five relievers in Saturday's blowout loss and threw 119 pitches, then turned to six relief arms in Sunday's 12-inning game and needed 98 more. That workload made Beck's arrival timely as the Giants tried to piece together enough innings for the start of the series with Los Angeles.
Smith had appeared in one game for the Giants and recorded two outs while walking a batter. Porter had been used only as a pinch runner. Beck, meanwhile, already has 31 Major League games on his resume from a year ago, giving the Giants a more experienced arm for a night that could demand one.
The move fits the urgency of the moment for San Francisco: add offense, protect the bullpen and get through a demanding four-game set with its biggest division rival. Bader is back, and the Giants are betting that both his legs and Beck's arm can help steady a roster that has been stretched hard over the weekend.
