Giants place former top prospect on injured list, recall RHP

The San Francisco Giants are placing catcher Joey Bart on the 10-day injured list and recalling Sean Hjelle from Triple-A, according to MLB.com’s Maria Guardado. Bart was previously reported to be dealing with back tightness and has been diagnosed with a mild back strain. Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Bart is expected to miss minimal time.

Though he excelled in the lower levels of the minor leagues after being picked second overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, advancing from rookie ball all the way to Double-A in just 130 games, Bart has struggled at the major-league level since his debut during the shortened 2020 season, posting a .222/.294/.351 slash line in 408 plate appearances in the big leagues while striking out 38% of the time. While Bart figures to get another opportunity to establish himself as the long-term catcher for the Giants this season, that will now have to be put on hold while he nurses his injury.

With Bart sidelined for the time being, the Giants are down to two catchers on their active roster, with Roberto Perez being backed up by Rule 5 pick Blake Sabol. Sabol had been playing in the outfield while the Giants were rostering three catchers with Austin Slater and Mitch Haniger on the injured list, but now figures to see more time behind the plate as San Francisco looks to figure out if he can stick on the roster long-term. That should open up playing time for the likes of J.D. Davis, Matt Beaty, and Bryce Johnson.

That opens the door for Hjelle to join the big league roster. Hjelle, 25, is routinely considered to be among San Francisco’s top 10 prospects. He made his major league debut last season, and though he struggled in terms of results with a 5.76 ERA in 25 innings of work, that figure is inflated by a .400 BABIP. Hjelle’s 24.3% strikeout rate, 7.0% walk rate, and 3.51 FIP all indicate his performance was much stronger than the top-level results would otherwise imply. With the Giants flush in rotation options, Hjelle is likely ticketed for the bullpen, though he could be used in a multi-inning role as he was last season when seven of his eight appearances saw him face 12+ batters.