San Francisco Giants’ President of Baseball Operations’ Buster Posey introduces new manager Tony Vitello during press conference at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle
San Francisco Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion batting during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull/AP
Top prospects Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez are up from the minors in the San Francisco Giants’ much-needed roster shakeup. To make room, infielder/outfielder Jerar Encarnacion and outfielder Will Brennan are off the roster. Encarnacion, out of minor league options, was designated for assignment and Brennan was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday.
The hope is the double promotion can “jump start” a Giants offense that is turning in some of the league’s worst numbers and was shut out seven times over their first 34 games, president of baseball operations Buster Posey said on Monday.
“I think about what is going to have to happen for us to get out of this funk, we’re going to need our big three guys to get us to of the funk and produce the way we know they can produce,” Posey said.
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Those big three are Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, the latter of which was not in the starting lineup Monday against the San Diego Padres with Casey Schmitt sliding in at third base and batting second. Schmitt has been one of the Giants’ few bright spots while Devers, Adames and Chapman haven’t been able to lift the lineup as expected with the first two posting a sub-.600 OPS.
“It’s human nature to want to get it all back in one swing, one game, one good week,” Posey said. “I really believe you have to chip away and find little victories for yourself. … If I put on my former player hat, it’s how can I come to the park today and feel like I got a little bit better from what I had been going through?”
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There’s reason to believe Eldridge and Rodriguez can alleviate pressure off the struggling regulars. Without a normal offseason following wrist surgery, Eldridge didn’t have his best swing during a turbulent spring training; he said he found it again pretty quickly with Triple-A and it shows with his five home runs and .963 OPS with the River Cats.
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“I told (Giants outfielder) Jared (Oliva) earlier, I’m feeling sexy at the plate right now,” Eldridge said.
Eldridge batted seventh as the designated hitter against right-handed starter Randy Vasquez on Monday and Rodriguez caught and batted eighth in his big league debut, giving Patrick Bailey the day off. Rodriguez’s strength fills another glaring void in the Giants’ lineup of late; he had more walks (12) than strikeouts (11) with a .400 on-base percentage in 24 games with Sacramento. The Giants’ 69 total walks heading into Monday ranked dead last and their .287 OBP was tied with the New York Mets for last in the league.
With the big three expected to anchor the lineup, manager Tony Vitello hasn’t utilized the bench or gotten creative with matchups in his lineups. The addition of Eldridge and Rodriguez into the fold will allow, or force, Vitello to move guys around and deploy different looks.
Schmitt has been DHing most games this year, but can play every infield position and may even get some playing time in a corner outfield spot down the line, Vitello said. Eric Haase, the third catcher on the roster, can play some outfield as well. Rodriguez played five games in center field and two at second base in addition to his catching duties with the River Cats this year — and that versatility will come into play at the big leagues. Eldridge can play first base if Devers needs a day off or is in the DH spot.
“By nature you could say the coaching staff — it is the coaching staff, I’ll take ultimate responsibility — hadn’t been aggressive enough about making moves,” Vitello said. “We just haven’t had as many opportunities or been limited about what guys can do off the bench.”
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Encarnacion earned few early opportunities and was hitless in the three games he got the nod in the starting lineup during the Giants’ dismal 0-6 trip to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.
Encarnacion, 28, is batting .176 in 35 plate appearances this year and will be available on waivers unless the Giants can find a trade partner.
Brennan, signed as a free agent during spring training, got even less playing time since his call up on April 15 in the wake of injuries to Oliva and outfielder Harrison Bader. Brennan played in five games and didn’t reach base in nine plate appearances.
Right-hander Trevor McDonald was recalled from Sacramento and started Monday. Left-handed reliever Erik Miller was placed on the injured list with a lower back strain, a huge hit for the bullpen.
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Briefly: Bader, out with a left hamstring strain since April 15, will start his rehab assignment in Sacramento on Tuesday.