The Giants have claimed outfielder Ryan McKenna off waivers from the Orioles, FanSided’s Robert Murray stories (X hyperlink). McKenna was designated for project earlier this week, and he’ll now change groups for the primary time in his 9 professional seasons.
It’s an apparent match for a Giants crew that’s battling by way of a swath of accidents, significantly within the outfield ranks. Jung Hoo Lee simply underwent season-ending shoulder surgical procedure, and each Michael Conforto and Austin Slater are additionally presently sidelined. With shortstop Nick Ahmed and each catchers (starter Patrick Bailey and backup Tom Murphy) out, San Francisco has been pressured to dig deep into its depth chart, and likewise pursue outdoors assist just like the current signing of veteran catcher Curt Casali.
McKenna represents one other exterior add, and he brings versatility in his capacity to play all three outfield positions at a minimum of a mean stage. Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos have gotten plenty of the enjoying time within the outfield with so most of the regulars out, and each have performed properly alongside Mike Yastrzemski within the makeshift beginning association. McKenna will convey some additional depth to that blend, since Blake Sabol has been restricted to catcher and utilityman Tyler Fitzgerald may very well be deployed extra strictly within the infield.
McKenna can also be a right-handed hitter who can complement the lefty-swinging Yastrzemski, although McKenna has by no means introduced a lot punch on the plate. Over 517 profession MLB plate appearances, McKenna has hit simply .224/.302/.332 with eight residence runs. He additionally has a way more spectacular .261/.359/.556 slash line over 274 PA at Triple-A, with a lot of that injury going down throughout a giant 2021 marketing campaign.
Regardless of the shortage of pop, it’s doable the Orioles won’t have felt compelled to half with McKenna if the crew wasn’t so absurdly stacked with outfield expertise. In a way, having a clear-cut bench participant like McKenna was precious for the O’s because it wasn’t an enormous deal if McKenna solely acquired sporadic enjoying time, whereas sitting a Heston Kjerstad or a Kyle Stowers for days at a time wasn’t useful for his or her growth. Matos and Ramos are each enjoying properly sufficient that such a state of affairs won’t current itself in San Francisco, as there ought to be loads of enjoying time obtainable till among the injured place gamers return.
