SF Giants Press Clips Monday, May 28, 2018

San Francisco Chronicle Giants calling up Dereck Rodriguez, son of Hall of Famer Ivan ‘Pudge” Rodriguez John Shea

The Giants need another for their series in Denver, and the call went to Derek Rodriguez, who referenced the promotion on his Instagram account: “Just got the best call of my life!!!! It’s showtime !!!”

Rodriguez, 25, the son of Hall of Fame Ivan Rodriguez, was 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA in nine starts for Triple-A Sacramento.

The Giants were down a reliever in their three-game series in Chicago, after left fielder Mac Williamson took lefty Josh Osich’s roster spot. They’ll need a full complement of relievers in the hitting-friendly confines of Coors Field, where they’ll play their next three games.

Rodriguez signed a minor-league contract with the Giants over the winter after spending seven seasons in the Twins’ organization. He converted from an to pitcher in 2014.

Rodriguez’s dad tagged out J.T. Snow at the plate to end the 2003 Division Series, sending the Giants home and the Marlins to the next round.

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“I was there. I was in the clubhouse,” the younger Rodriguez said in . “When my dad played, I was always in the clubhouse. For sure, it’s one of his best moments. He always says it. He still has the ball.”

The Giants will need to create a spot on the 40-man roster and also remove someone from the 25-man roster. With Pablo Sandoval showing Sunday he’s acceptable at second base, it’s possible Miguel Gomez could be optioned.

San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ Pablo Sandoval surprisingly impressive at 2nd in latest loss to Cubs John Shea

CHICAGO — The adage isn’t a key part of today’s advanced analytics. It’s not the first thing mentioned by advance scouts. But it’s law, and there’s no doubting it.

The ball will find you.

The ball found Pablo Sandoval — right away, in fact — and that was OK. The multidimensional infielder made his first career start at second base Sunday night, and he wasn’t to blame for the Giants’ 8-3 loss to the Cubs.

Actually, Sandoval was an asset defensively, stunningly. He turned a , dived to rob Javier Baez and positioned himself as if this weren’t the first time he was making plays at second base, though it was.

“First inning, I was a little scared,” said Sandoval, whose only previous experience at second was two-thirds of an inning last year with Boston, after a Dustin Pedroia injury, “but after I made that play (on Baez), I was a little bit more loose and had fun a little bit.”

On offense, Sandoval’s show of hustle ignited a three-run rally in the first inning. He legged out an infield (beating a throw by lollygagging Addison Russell) that produced a two-out RBI, and Mac Williamson followed with a two-run single.

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The Giants didn’t lose because Sandoval tried a new position. They lost because starter Ty Blach coughed up five runs on seven hits and four walks in three-plus innings (and didn’t do a very good job fielding his position), because reliever didn’t clean up Blach’s mess and because they stranded 13 runners, twice leaving the bases full.

Manager ’s decision to play Sandoval at second was surprising even though Sandoval had been taking grounders there in recent weeks. He has started at third and first and even pitched a perfect inning, but he seemed more of an emergency option at second.

With missing his second straight game with hip soreness, Bochy wanted Sandoval’s bat in the lineup against Tyler Chatwood and figured the only open spot was second, where Kelby Tomlinson was getting most of the time but was struggling at the plate.

Sandoval “was fine out there. He looked comfortable,” Bochy said. “He was good with the little bit of time he was out there, he got a lot of action.”

Sandoval had been working at second since went on the disabled list in late April, and when backup Alen Hanson was shelved in mid-May, the Giants were running out of bodies. Miguel Gomez is on the roster, but it’s possible he might be sent to Sacramento if the Giants decide to add a pitcher for the upcoming series in Denver.

Sandoval got immediate action. Leadoff hitter Jr. hit a ball that ricocheted off Blach, and Sandoval made a smooth barehand pickup and throw, but Almora beat it out. Sandoval stopped Baez’s grounder with a dive to his left, did a 360-degree turn and made the throw on one knee.

The next inning, Sandoval made a pretty turn on a feed from shortstop to double off Almora. The fun didn’t last. Sandoval was removed in the fourth in a double switch when Blach was pulled after putting the first two men on base.

Johnson, an ex-Cub, quickly coughed up Baez’s three-run homer, and the Cubs led 6-3. Johnson gave up two more runs in the fifth, and Chicago sent the Giants packing for Colorado with a 1-4

3 record on the trip.

San Francisco Chronicle Giants ‘open-minded’ to returning as soon as Friday By John Shea

CHICAGO — Madison Bumgarner could be pitching soon at a ballpark near you. As in Friday night in the Giants’ homestand opener.

“We’re going to stay open-minded on anything,” manager Bruce Bochy said when asked whether Friday is a possibility for Bumgarner’s return to the rotation. “As good as he felt last night, it was his first time in a competitive situation, so to speak.” Bumgarner was dominant over 47 pitches in his first rehab start Saturday night at Triple-A Sacramento. The lefty pitched 32/3 hitless innings and struck out eight of his 12 batters, saying afterward his surgically repaired hand felt good and he was ready to pitch in the majors.

In Bumgarner’s next start, he’d be able to throw 70 pitches. Initially, with the River Cats on the road, he was supposed to start at San Jose. And then at least one more. In the wake of Saturday’s strong outing, the Giants are reconsidering their timetable.

“There’s a possibility he could be moved up,” said Bochy, who hadn’t spoken with Bumgarner as of Sunday afternoon and was interested in how he felt the day after. Bochy hinted a decision could come after the pitcher throws a between-starts bullpen session.

Obviously, the Giants need Bumgarner, and the question is whether those 70 pitches would be better served in the minors — to build his strength and endurance — or when the Giants open their homestand against the Phillies.

“I wouldn’t say I’d be back at midseason form, but I definitely feel I could get some outs,” Bumgarner said Saturday in regard to possibly facing big-league hitters in his next start.

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Briefly: After missing two games with a sore hip, Buster Posey has a “good chance” of playing Monday, Bochy said. ... Second basemen Joe Panik and Alen Hanson are beginning rehab assignments Monday, Panik with Sacramento and Hanson in extended spring training until he joins Class A San Jose on Wednesday. ... Shortstop Brandon Crawford and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez had two more hits apiece. Crawford is hitting .443 in May, and Hernandez is hitting .417 over his past nine games.

San Francisco Chronicle Giants starting Pablo Sandoval at second base in Sunday’s series finale at Wrigley By John Shea

CHICAGO — On Saturday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy was asked if Pablo Sandoval would still take grounders at second even though second basemen Joe Panik and Alen Hanson might be close to returning to the roster.

Indeed, Bochy said.

On Sunday, Bochy’s starting Sandoval at the position, the first start at second base in his major- league career.

“It’ll be a challenge for me to prove I can play there and do everything I can to help this team,” Sandoval said.

You like a challenge, Pablo?

“I love it, man,” he said. “Especially to help the team. It’s going to be good. It’s going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it. Just make the plays for my teammates.”

Sandoval will use Brandon Crawford’s 11 1/2-inch Rawlings model, which has the Gold Glove shortstop’s name inscribed across the front. Sandoval has been using the glove working out at second in recent weeks, a big adjustment from his two usual infield positions, third and first.

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“I started taking ground balls when we knew Panik was going to be out,” Sandoval said. “I’ve been working on double plays and all that kind of stuff, just in case something happens, and today I have the opportunity to be there.”

Is he confident?

“For sure,” Sandoval said. “It’s the infield. It’s groundballs. You have to work harder out there, know how to do things out there, the cutoffs and relays, covering the base, going to first on bunts. It’s a different position.”

Sandoval played one big-league game for Boston on April 21, 2017, replacing injured Boston infielder Dustin Pedroia in the eighth inning. He had no chances.

San Jose Mercury News Why Madison Bumgarner could pitch for the Giants on Friday Kerry Crowley

CHICAGO–Madison Bumgarner was slated to appear in a uniform on Thursday.

But he may skip the commute down south and instead pitch for the on Friday.

The club’s ace made his first rehab start on Saturday evening for the Triple-A and struck out eight hitters over 3 2/3 innings of work.

Bumgarner threw 47 pitches against the Albuquerque Isotopes and manager Bruce Bochy said the left-hander will be able to throw 70 pitches in his next outing.

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The Giants are now faced with a decision: Will Bumgarner’s next game come against the Visalia Rawhide or the ?

“We’re going to stay open-minded on anything right now,” Bochy said. “As good as he felt last night, it was his first time in a competitive situation so to speak.”

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Bumgarner has been sidelined since the end of spring training after a line drive hit him on the pitching hand and fractured his pinky. He faced live hitters for the first time Tuesday in Houston and made his first rehab start Saturday in Sacramento.

The Giants indicated Bumgarner may need three or four rehab starts before he could return, but Bochy admitted the club is reassessing their plans after how well Bumgarner performed in his first outing.

“With how well he felt, how well he threw, 47 pitches, a possibility it could be moved up,” Bochy said. “We’ll talk to him here in a couple of days when he takes his bullpen.”

Most wouldn’t feel comfortable facing major league hitters after missing such a substantial portion of time, but as Giants fans know well, Bumgarner isn’t like most pitchers.

The Giants starting rotation has struggled for most of May, and Bumgarner’s return would provide a much-needed boost to a club that remains in the hunt in the West. Though Bumgarner may not be ready to pitch deep into a game, 70 pitches from their ace might be just what the Giants need against a Phillies team that took all four games against them in Philadelphia.

Injury updates

Nick Hundley will start behind the plate for the second straight day as catcher Buster Posey is sitting with right hip soreness.

Posey is available to pinch hit or appear off the bench and Bochy thinks he could start Monday’s contest in Denver against the Rockies.

Bochy said closer is slated to pitch again Tuesday in Sacramento.

The right-hander has appeared in three games for the River Cats and has yet to throw more than 14 pitches in an outing. The Giants anticipate Melancon will need about five-to-six rehab games before he’s able to return to their roster and they would like Melancon to pitch on back- to-back days during his rehab assignment.

Starter is more than a month away from returning to the mound for the Giants, but he’s expected to play catch off of flat ground Monday for the first time since being diagnosed with a sprained elbow.

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Second baseman Joe Panik left the visiting clubhouse in Chicago on Sunday afternoon to fly back to California where he’ll begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento. Panik is recovering from a fractured thumb and hopes to rejoin the Giants on their next homestand.

Fellow infielder Alen Hanson will play his first rehab game Monday in extended spring training. Hanson will report to Single-A San Jose on Wednesday as he attempts to return from a hamstring strain.

Outfielder is eligible to return from the disabled list, but the Giants will wait until the end of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento before determining whether to add him to the 25-man roster. Doing so would likely require the Giants to drop another outfielder from the 25-man roster.

Reliever Derek Law will report to Sacramento Monday and join the River Cats bullpen. Law is on the disabled list with a foot injury, but will likely be activated and optioned to Triple-A when the Giants make an official transaction.

San Jose Mercury News Pablo Sandoval to make first career start at second base for the Giants Kerry Crowley

CHICAGO–He’s their emergency pitcher, emergency catcher, backup and backup .

Now, Pablo Sandoval will attempt to show off his versatility with the Giants in a new way.

Sandoval is penciled in to hit sixth and play second base on Sunday and will start at the position for the first time in his Major League career.

With second basemen Joe Panik and Alen Hanson on the disabled list, Sandoval began taking grounders at the position about a month ago. Reserve infielder Kelby Tomlinson has started at second base with both Panik and Hanson out, but the Giants will give Tomlinson the day off against Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood.

“I started taking groundballs and working on double plays and I was getting ready just in case something happened in the field,” Sandoval said. “Today is a great opportunity.”

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Sandoval has played 957 games at third base, 75 at first, 15 as a and 14 as a catcher in his career, but has only appeared at second base for 2/3 of an inning. Sandoval replaced Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia in the field after Pedroia suffered an injury in 2017, but no balls were hit to Sandoval.

“You have to work hard out there,” Sandoval said. “You have to do a lot of things out there. Cutoff the relay, covering the base, bunts you have to go to first base. It’s kind of different but I’ve been talking to the guys.”

The Giants could have chosen to start reserve infielder Miguel Gomez on Sunday in Tomlinson’s place, but Sandoval is 6-for-18 against Chatwood with two home runs. With an opportunity to take a road series in Chicago, manager Bruce Bochy is gambling Sandoval’s prep work at second base will pay off.

Though he arrived at spring training with several different gloves, he plans to use one that belongs to teammate and three-time Gold Glover Brandon Crawford. Sandoval said he asked Panik if he could borrow a glove, but the injured second baseman didn’t have any backups on hand.

Panik left the Giants clubhouse Sunday afternoon to travel back to California and will begin a rehab stint with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats on Monday. Hanson is expected to play in extended spring training on Monday and appear in a rehab game with the Single-A San Jose Giants on Wednesday.

The Giants will be without catcher Buster Posey for the second straight day, as Posey is dealing with right hip soreness. Posey said he doesn’t believe the injury is serious.

San Jose Mercury News Giants leave 13 on base, tax pitching staff in series loss to Cubs Kerry Crowley

CHICAGO–With a series against the Cubs hanging in the balance, Giants manager Bruce Bochy declared he needed a quality start from pitcher Ty Blach and second baseman Pablo Sandoval.

But less than halfway through the Giants’ 8-3 loss, Blach and Sandoval walked off the field together as Bochy double switched his starting pitcher and switch-hitting infielder out of the game.

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With his top two second basemen on the disabled list, Bochy inserted Sandoval into the starting lineup at the position for the first time in his major league career. The experiment lasted just four innings, as Sandoval was yanked after grounding into a 6-4-3 double play while Blach was pulled after his worst outing of the year.

Blach has failed to record more than 13 outs in four consecutive starts and on Sunday, he suffered with erratic command that led to seven Cubs hits and four walks.

The left-hander is battling for the right to remain in a rotation that could soon feature Madison Bumgarner, as Bochy indicated the team will consider asking its ace to pitch Friday at AT&T Park after making just a single rehab start.

With the final three games of their road trip set for the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, Bochy let Blach work through three stressful innings before pulling him in favor of reliever Pierce Johnson in the fourth.

By falling three games below .500, the Giants are three back of the first-place Rockies heading into the final series of their road trip and only a half game ahead of the fourth-place Dodgers.

After the Giants capitalized on an RBI infield single from Sandoval and a two-run, two-out hit from left fielder Mac Williamson to take a 3-0 lead in the first, Blach surrendered three first inning runs and allowed the Cubs to tie the score.

The first two balls hit in the bottom of the first found Sandoval’s glove, as he nearly threw out Albert Almora, Jr. on a leadoff single that nicked off Blach’s glove and rolled toward second. Sandoval spent the past month taking grounders at second base to prepare for Sunday’s opportunity, and showcased impressive range with a diving stab to take away a hit from Javier Báez on the next ball in play.

Though Sandoval’s presence in the order netted the Giants a two-out rally in the first, he was forced to hit from the right side of the plate against reliever Randy Rosario in the fourth. With two runners on and one out, Sandoval hit a chopper to shortstop that turned into an inning- ending double play.

After Blach walked Rosario in his first career and allowed a long double to Almora, Jr., Bochy walked to the mound and removed both players he needed quality nights from.

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When former Cubs pitcher Pierce Johnson replaced Blach, Báez greeted him with a go-ahead three-run to spoil his homecoming.

While the Giants have struggled to score on their current road trip, they wasted a slew of early chances including a bases loaded, no out situation in the top of the third. After Blach, Gorkys Hernandez and Andrew McCutchen reached to kick off the inning, and struck out and Brandon Crawford lined out to end the threat.

The Giants loaded the bases again in the third, but a McCutchen groundout helped Tyler Chatwood escape the inning.

San Francisco’s inability to make Chatwood pay for his inconsistent command played a pivotal role in Sunday’s outcome, as Cubs manager Joe Maddon needed to remove his starter in the top of the third.

Chatwood barely threw more strikes, 46, than balls, 42, and issued five walks in a performance that drew loud jeers from his home crowd. However, Chicago’s relievers proved far more effective, keeping the Giants off the board the rest of the night after Chatwood exited.

MLB.com Blach stumbles after Giants post three in first Chris Haft

CHICAGO -- The Giants' most useful performer on Sunday night was Pierce Johnson , which conveyed all you need to know about their 8-3 loss to the .

Johnson relieved Ty Blach in the fourth and yielded Javier Baez 's three-run homer that snapped a 3-3 tie. Despite that lapse, Johnson helped the Giants by working three innings to prevent the bullpen from overuse.

View Full Game Coverage That summarizes the state of the Giants, who have rarely received durable efforts from their starting pitchers. By lasting two batters into the fourth inning, Blach recorded the club's 15th game among the last 20 in which the starter did not go six innings or more. Quality starts have become nearly extinct among the Giants, who have three of them in this 20-game stretch. No wonder the starters own a 4.73 ERA, third-highest in the National League.

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Should this trend continue, the Giants will be shuttling relievers back and forth between Sacramento, site of their Triple-A affiliate, as if they were government lobbyists. The lack of staying power among the Giants' starters threatens to burn out the bullpen.

Fortunately for the Giants, ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner should soon rejoin the rotation, followed by Johnny Cueto several weeks later. They'll bring hope as well as competence to a staff that needs both.

On Sunday, Blach plainly wasn't himself. Besides being charged with five runs while allowing seven hits and walking four in his three-plus innings, he fielded his position with unusual awkwardness. Two comebackers that he'd typically handle instead grazed his glove, forcing first-time second baseman Pablo Sandoval to scamper extra distances.

"He's a guy who goes after the hitters and throws strikes," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Blach (3-5). "He was just off."

Said Blach, who has compiled an 0-2 record with an 8.62 ERA in his last four starts, "I just kind of lost rhythm and wasn't able to command the later in the game."

After rallying for three runs in the first inning, the Giants had chances to add runs against Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood , but they left the bases loaded in the second and third innings. Meanwhile, the Cubs added a pair of fifth-inning runs off Johnson to settle matters.

"We just needed one more hit, walk or anything," Bochy said, referring to the offensive frustration.

Any joy derived from this game began and ended with Sandoval, whose only previous activity at second base lasted two-thirds of an inning with Boston on April 21, 2017, at Baltimore.

"At first, I was a little scared," said Sandoval, who was tested immediately as the first two Cubs hit grounders in his direction. Sandoval made a barehand pickup on Albert Almora Jr. 's dribbler but couldn't record the putout. After that, Sandoval provided the assist on Baez's grounder. "After I made that play, I felt a little more loose."

The Giants fell to 1-4 on their three-city trip that continues with a three-game series at Colorado that opens Monday.

SOUND SMART The Giants have allowed 47 runs in the fourth inning, their worst inning so far this season. The first inning, in which San Francisco has yielded 43 runs, has been almost as trying.

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YOU GOTTA SEE THIS It's completely true that the ball finds you. Sandoval's stint at second base, which lasted fewer than four innings, proved this. Sandoval was involved in four first-inning plays, either on grounders hit directly to him or batted balls that Blach deflected.

Sandoval said he began taking grounders at second base when Joe Panik sprained his left thumb in late April. With Buster Posey nursing his sore right hip, this seemed like a good opportunity for Bochy to bolster the offense -- not the defense -- by playing Sandoval at second.

Sandoval's most impressive moment occurred not in the field, where he used one of shortstop Brandon Crawford 's spare gloves, but on the basepaths. His first-inning dash to first base resulted in a two-out infield single that opened San Francisco's scoring. According to Statcast™ , Sandoval's covered ground at the rate of 27.2 feet per second -- significantly faster than his average sprint speed of 25.3.

UP NEXT Andrew Suarez 's big league education will continue Monday with a stern test: Pitching at Coors Field. The rookie left-hander will start the 4:10 p.m. PT opener of a three-game series against the and right-hander Chad Bettis . Suarez hopes to avoid finding out that if the power hitters don't get you at Coors, the bloop hits that result from all the playing deep will.

MLB.com Giants pick No. 2 for first time since Will the Thrill Chris Haft

The 2018 Draft will take place on June 4-6, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3 p.m. PT on Monday, June 4. MLB Network will broadcast the first 43 picks (Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A), while MLB.com will stream all 78 picks on Day 1. MLB.com will also provide live pick-by-pick coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Day 2, with a preview show beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT. Then, Rounds 11-40 can be heard live on MLB.com on Day 3, beginning at 9 a.m. PT.

Go to MLB.com/draft to see the Top 200 Prospects list, projected top picks from MLB Pipeline analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying. Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the Giants, whose first pick is second overall.

In about 50 words More attention than usual is focused on this year's Draft, largely due to history. The last time

13 the Giants had the No. 2 overall choice was 1985, when they selected Mississippi State first baseman . The left-handed batter with the sweet stroke made a lasting impact on the franchise, on and off the field. The Giants yearn to pick somebody who can demonstrate a fraction of Clark's influence.

More coverage ¬

The scoop It will be intriguing to see whether the Giants maintain an emphasis on taking younger prospects with higher talent ceilings. Last year they departed from selecting a large percentage of mostly polished collegins and took "toolsy" high school prospects with their first three picks.

First-round buzz Due to their lofty draft position, the Giants should be able to add a player with legitimate talent. Speculation has surrounded catcher , Auburn right-hander and Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School right-hander .

Money matters Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken in rounds 11-40 will apply toward the bonus-pool total.

The assigned slots are 4.2 percent higher than last year, reflecting the increase in MLB's annual revenues. The Giants ($11,747,500) are among seven clubs with eight-figure bonus pools.

Shopping list The Giants always find a way to address their pitching needs. But what they really could use are some big bats. They reinforced themselves in this category last year by drafting outfielder and third baseman Jacob Gonzalez in the first two rounds. But the Giants' cupboard of offensive prospects is anything but overstocked, requiring them to seek more hitting prowess.

Trend watch As mentioned earlier, the Giants abandoned their modus operandi last year by using their first two picks on high school position players Ramos and Gonzalez. It's anybody's guess whether this is San Francisco's new trend or just an aberration.

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Rising fast At this time last year, first baseman-outfielder was making a home with the Giants' Double-A Richmond affiliate. By season's end, he had progressed to Triple-A Sacramento. Shaw, considered the organization's leading power-hitting prospect, likely will be in San Francisco by the end of the season.

Cinderella story Shortstop Kelby Tomlinson was an afterthought when the Giants selected him in the 12th round of the 2011 Draft. They took two other ahead of him, including first-round choice Joe Panik . But as observers now know, Tomlinson has derived as much as possible from his ability and has established himself as a valuable reserve.

In the show The Giants' current contingent, including top performers currently on the disabled list, features 11 players either originally signed or drafted by the organization.

Pitchers on that list include Ty Blach (fifth round, 2012), Madison Bumgarner (first round, 2007), (first round, 2012) and Andrew Suarez (second round, 2016).

Position players in this category include catcher Buster Posey (first round, 2008), first baseman Brandon Belt (fifth round, 2009), shortstop Brandon Crawford (fourth round, 2008) and outfielder Mac Williamson (third round, 2012).

The Giants also signed infielder Miguel Gomez as a non-drafted free agent in 2011, right- hander as a Minor League free agent in 2010 and infielder Pablo Sandoval as an international free agent in 2008.

The 2018 Draft will take place on June 4-6, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3 p.m. PT on Monday, June 4. MLB Network will broadcast the first 43 picks (Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A), while MLB.com will stream all 78 picks on Day 1. MLB.com will also provide live pick-by-pick coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Day 2, with a preview show beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT. Then, Rounds 11-40 can be heard live on MLB.com on Day 3, beginning at 9 a.m. PT.

Go to MLB.com/draft to see the Top 200 Prospects list, projected top picks from MLB Pipeline analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying. Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the Giants, whose first pick is second overall.

In about 50 words

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More attention than usual is focused on this year's Draft, largely due to history. The last time the Giants had the No. 2 overall choice was 1985, when they selected Mississippi State first baseman Will Clark. The left-handed batter with the sweet stroke made a lasting impact on the franchise, on and off the field. The Giants yearn to pick somebody who can demonstrate a fraction of Clark's influence.

The scoop It will be intriguing to see whether the Giants maintain an emphasis on taking younger prospects with higher talent ceilings. Last year they departed from selecting a large percentage of mostly polished collegins and took "toolsy" high school prospects with their first three picks.

First-round buzz Due to their lofty draft position, the Giants should be able to add a player with legitimate talent. Speculation has surrounded Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, Auburn right-hander Casey Mize and Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School right-hander Cole Winn.

Money matters Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken in rounds 11-40 will apply toward the bonus-pool total.

The assigned slots are 4.2 percent higher than last year, reflecting the increase in MLB's annual revenues. The Giants ($11,747,500) are among seven clubs with eight-figure bonus pools.

Shopping list The Giants always find a way to address their pitching needs. But what they really could use are some big bats. They reinforced themselves in this category last year by drafting outfielder Heliot Ramos and third baseman Jacob Gonzalez in the first two rounds. But the Giants' cupboard of offensive prospects is anything but overstocked, requiring them to seek more hitting prowess.

Trend watch As mentioned earlier, the Giants abandoned their modus operandi last year by using their first two picks on high school position players Ramos and Gonzalez. It's anybody's guess whether this is San Francisco's new trend or just an aberration.

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Rising fast At this time last year, first baseman-outfielder Chris Shaw was making a home with the Giants' Double-A Richmond affiliate. By season's end, he had progressed to Triple-A Sacramento. Shaw, considered the organization's leading power-hitting prospect, likely will be in San Francisco by the end of the season.

Cinderella story Shortstop Kelby Tomlinson was an afterthought when the Giants selected him in the 12th round of the 2011 Draft. They took two other shortstops ahead of him, including first-round choice Joe Panik . But as observers now know, Tomlinson has derived as much as possible from his ability and has established himself as a valuable reserve.

In the show The Giants' current contingent, including top performers currently on the disabled list, features 11 players either originally signed or drafted by the organization.

Pitchers on that list include Ty Blach (fifth round, 2012), Madison Bumgarner (first round, 2007), Chris Stratton (first round, 2012) and Andrew Suarez (second round, 2016).

Position players in this category include catcher Buster Posey (first round, 2008), first baseman Brandon Belt (fifth round, 2009), shortstop Brandon Crawford (fourth round, 2008) and outfielder Mac Williamson (third round, 2012).

The Giants also signed infielder Miguel Gomez as a non-drafted free agent in 2011, right- hander Reyes Moronta as a Minor League free agent in 2010 and infielder Pablo Sandoval as an international free agent in 2008.

The Athletic Down on the farm: setting the pace for Giants’ minor league hitters Melissa Lockard

More than a third of the way into the minor league regular season, the Giants are seeing a revival in terms of overall team play for their four full-season affiliates. Through Sunday, the Giants’ four full-season affiliates were a cumulative 17 games over .500. Below are some of the individual performers who are leading the way for the Giants’ farm system statistically in the early part of the season.

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Pitching Innings pitched: 51 1/3 – Melvin Adon, San Jose ERA (min. 25 IP): 1.43 – John Gavin, Augusta : 68 – , San Jose/Sacramento K:BB (starter; min. 25 IP): 14.00 – Aaron Phillips, Augusta K:BB (reliever; min. 15 IP): 9.50 – Dan Slania, Richmond WHIP (starter; min. 25 IP): 0.92 – John Gavin, Augusta WHIP (reliever; min. 15 IP): 0.41 – Franklin Van Gurp, Augusta

Hitting Batting average (min. 120 AB): .302 – Jalen Miller, San Jose On-base percentage (min. 120 AB): .445 – Austin Slater, Sacramento Slugging (min. 120 AB): .610 – Austin Slater, Sacramento OPS (min. 120 AB): 1.055 – Austin Slater, Sacramento HR: 10 – Chris Shaw, Sacramento SB: 14 – Johneshwy Fargas, San Jose Series note: Per reader request, season stats have been added next to the player names in the Notable Performance section. These stats are cumulative across all minor league levels played in 2018. Stats good through 5/27

Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A, ) Current Record: 24-27 It was a rough week for the River Cats, who dropped the first three games of a four-game set to Las Vegas and then lost two of three to Albuquerque. There have been plenty of big league faces in the River Cats’ lineup of late, with Madison Bumgarner, Hunter Pence, Mark Melancon and Mac Williamson rehabbing at various points this week with the club. Joe Panik is set to join that rehab club this week. Transactions LHP Daniel Camarena: Assigned to Sacramento from extended spring training on 5/24. The former Yankees prospect was released on 5/20 and signed by the Giants on 5/24. Before joining the Giants, he had a career 3.76 ERA in 571 2/3 minor league innings, all with the Yankees. He

18 has mostly been a starter during his career. Interestingly, Camarena signed a minor league free agent contract with the Cubs this offseason but was traded back to the Yankees before the start of the regular season, only to be released by New York in May. He was solid in his debut in the Giants’ organization, allowing a run on three hits in six innings against Albuquerque. He struck out six and walked two.

LHP Josh Osich: Recalled to San Francisco on 5/22; optioned to Sacramento on 5/24. Osich made one appearance in his latest stint with the Giants, allowing two runs in two innings on Tuesday. IF John Polonius: Assigned to Sacramento from San Jose on 5/21. Polonius appeared in five games with San Jose before joining the River Cats’ roster. He split the 2017 season between San Jose and Sacramento, as well. RHP Ryan Halstead: Assigned to Sacramento from Richmond on 5/21. Halstead had a 2.25 ERA in 20 relief innings with the Flying Squirrels before his promotion to Sacramento. This is his first Triple-A stint. The 2015 21st-round pick allowed five runs (one earned) in 2 2/3 innings for the River Cats this week. Notable Performances OF Austin Slater (123 AB, .358/.445/.610): Slater had a relatively quiet week by his standards, but still got on base eight times in seven games thanks to four hits and four walks. It would be very interesting to see what Slater could do with some regular playing time in the big leagues. RHP Dereck Rodríguez (50 1/3 IP, 3.40 ERA, 53:11 K:BB): Rodríguez had another solid outing this week, throwing six innings of three-run ball on Wednesday. He didn’t walk a batter and he struck out seven. Rodríguez has a streak of six straight starts with at least six strikeouts. RHP Ray Black (16 2/3 IP, 3.24 ERA, 34:8 K:BB): Black made two appearances this week and didn’t allow a run in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one. After allowing five runs over his first two Triple-A appearances, Black hasn’t allowed a run over his last four outings for the River Cats. RHP (44 IP, 5.73 ERA, 42:33 K:BB): Beede had two outings of fewer than five innings this week, but they were under very different circumstances. His outing on Monday was a traditional start, and he struggled, allowing eight runs on six hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings. On Saturday, he came on in relief of a rehabbing Bumgarner and was excellent, throwing four shutout innings and earning the win. He did walk three, as free passes continue to be a significant issue for the right-hander. CF (184 AB, .255/.335/.359): Duggar had two multi-hit games this week and went 7 for 25 with a walk. He’s batting .283 over his last 10 games, but .223 overall for the month of May. Left-handed pitching has given him a particularly tough time, as he is batting

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.138 with a .306 OBP versus southpaws. LHP Jordan Schafer (3 2/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 5:3 K:BB): The River Cats are utilizing all of Schafer’s talents. He received an at-bat on Tuesday (he struck out) and he pinch-ran on Thursday and scored a run. On the mound, Schafer appeared in two games this week, allowing an unearned run in two innings of work. He struck out two and walked two.

RHP Casey Kelly (50 1/3 IP, 6.26 ERA, 33:19 K:BB): Kelly had his best start of the season on Thursday, throwing seven shutout innings against Las Vegas. He allowed only one hit and one walk and he struck out one. This was the second time in 10 starts Kelly has pitched at least seven innings.

Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A, Eastern League) Current Record: 24-20 After yet another game was postponed by rain on Monday, the Flying Squirrels played a doubleheader on Tuesday and won both games. They couldn’t carry that momentum the rest of the week, however, dropping three of the next four, including two of three to first-place Akron. Richmond has one more game versus the RubberDucks on Monday. The Flying Squirrels are currently four back of first. Transactions RHP Taylor Hill: Assigned to Richmond on 5/27. The Giants signed Hill to a minor league contract on Sunday and added him to the Richmond rotation. The right-hander spent seven seasons in the Nationals’ organization, but he was released at the end of spring training this year. Hill has a career 6.00 ERA in 21 major league innings with Washington. He made his Richmond debut on Sunday, but struggled, allowing five runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked none but gave up three home runs. RHP Mike Connolly: Assigned to extended spring training on 5/27. Connolly is removed from the active roster a day after throwing four innings in relief. He has made 12 appearances with Richmond and has a 3.03 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. Chances are he returns to the roster in the near term. 2B Tyler Brown: Assigned to Richmond from Augusta on 5/25. Brown joined the Richmond roster this week after 20 games with Augusta. He had two hits in five at-bats for the Flying Squirrels. RHP Patrick Ruotolo: Assigned to Richmond from San Jose on 5/21. Ruotolo earned his first promotion to Double-A after a strong start to the season as a backend reliever for San Jose. He converted all six save opportunities for the Giants and had a 1.47 ERA and a 26:7 K:BB in 18 innings in the . This week, he made two appearances and didn’t allow a run in

20 three innings. Ruotolo struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. RHP Connor Overton: Assigned to Richmond from Sacramento on 5/21. A native of Richmond, Overton is suiting up for his hometown team for the first time. He made six appearances with San Jose and Sacramento before joining the Flying Squirrels. He allowed only an unearned run in 2 1/3 innings in his Richmond debut on Thursday.

LHP Carlos Diaz: Placed on the 7-day disabled list on 5/20. Diaz lands on the DL with a left elbow strain. After a strong start to the year with San Jose, Diaz had allowed six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings with Richmond before landing on the shelf. Notable Performances

RHP Shaun Anderson (50 IP, 2.70 ERA, 52:12 K:BB): Anderson rebounded from his first poor start of the season with a strong outing on Wednesday, allowing a run on three hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven. Anderson hasn’t issued more than two walks in any start this year. OF Dylan Davis (145 AB, .262/.306/.462): Davis finished the week with back-to-back three-hit games. He went 8 for 20 with a home run and five RBIs this week. He is second on the team with six home runs this season. OF Luigi Rodriguez (114 AB, .412/.485/.561): Rodriguez’s assault on Eastern League pitching continues unabated. This week, he went 7 for 19 with a walk and four runs scored. He’s batting .431 in May after hitting .388 in April. RHP Dan Slania (22 IP, 3.27 ERA, 19:2 K:BB): Slania made only one appearance this week, a one- inning outing in which he allowed a run on two hits. It was notable, however, because he didn’t walk a batter for the ninth straight appearance. On the year, he has issued two walks and both came in an April 23 appearance. In his other 15 outings, Slania has struck out 19 and walked none in 21 innings. C Aramis Garcia (124 AB, .185/.231/.323): Garcia has really struggled this season and that continued this week. Although he homered on Tuesday and had a hit in each end of the doubleheader, he finished the week 2 for 20. Garcia is batting .154 over his last 10 games. RHP Chase Johnson (9 2/3 IP, 3.72 ERA, 5:3 K:BB): Johnson threw three hitless innings in his one start this week. He walked one and struck out one. He needed 38 pitches to get through three innings. The Giants are building him back up slowly as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

San Jose Giants (High-A, California League) Current Record: 26-24 It was a rough week for the Giants, who dropped four in a row to end the week and five of six

21 overall. The Giants slipped into third place in the North division, and are now four games back of the Stockton Ports for the division lead. After a nine-game road trip, the Giants will be happy to return home on Monday for the start of a 10-game homestand. Transactions

1B/OF Gio Brusa: Placed on the 7-day disabled list on 5/26. Brusa suffered a concussion on Tuesday and was placed on the DL later in the week. He’s batting .248/.312/.439 in 40 games this season. C Dylan Manwaring: Assigned to San Jose from extended spring training. The son of former big leaguer Kirk Manwaring, Dylan spent the last two seasons with Salem-Keizer. He had two hits in his San Jose debut on Sunday. RHP Dylan Rheault: Assigned to Sacramento from San Jose on 5/22; assigned to San Jose from Sacramento on 5/24. Rheault gave the River Cats an extra arm this week. He threw two hitless innings in his Triple-A debut. 2B Kevin Rivera: Assigned to San Jose from extended spring training on 5/22. With Polonius moving up to Sacramento, Rivera provides some infield depth for the Giants. He went 4 for 17 this week. Rivera is a 2014 14th-round pick out of Puerto Rico. He split last season between short-season Salem-Keizer and Low-A Augusta. This is his High-A debut. RHP Carlos Sano: Assigned to San Jose from Augusta on 5/21. After five scoreless innings with the GreenJackets, Sano joins the Giants’ bullpen. He allowed four runs in two innings in his San Jose debut on Thursday. Notable Performances OF Sandro Fabian (156 AB, .244/.288/.423): Fabian continues to heat up at the plate. The 20- year-old homered three times this week and went 7 for 19. He has four home runs over his last seven games and is batting .297 over his last 10. RHP (30 IP, 1.80 ERA, 26:16 K:BB): Webb threw a season-high four innings in his start on Thursday, not allowing a run and giving up only one hit. He walked two and struck out two. Webb seems to get stronger every start and could be allowed to go five innings in the next few weeks. RHP Melvin Adon (51 1/3 IP, 4.56 ERA, 47:20 K:BB): Adon worked into the sixth inning for his second straight start, going 5 1/3 on Tuesday. He allowed only one earned run on three hits and two walks and he struck out five. Since allowing seven runs in 3 1/3 innings on 5/6, Adon has allowed five runs in his last three starts (16 1/3 innings). LHP Conner Menez (44 2/3, 3.83 ERA, 67:16 K:BB): Menez is now second in the Cal League in strikeouts after he struck out nine in a start on Sunday. He allowed four runs in five innings in

22 the loss to Modesto, however. 2B Jalen Miller (189 AB, .302/.354/.455): It was another strong week for Miller, who went 6 for 20 with two walks and a . He also scored three runs. Miller is batting .313 with an .825 OPS in May.

OF Jacob Heyward (144 AB, .271/.378/.431): Heyward went 6 for 19 this week and is batting .316 over his last 10 games. RHP Sandro Cabrera (45 IP, 3.20 ERA, 45:20 K:BB): Cabrera’s move into the rotation has been a success. He allowed a run in six innings on Thursday and has a 2.16 ERA in 16 2/3 innings over three starts this season.

Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A, )

Current Record: 30-16 Rain continues to interrupt the flow of the GreenJackets’ season, as there were two rainouts this week. Augusta made up one of the rainouts with a doubleheader and went 4-2 overall. They have a 2.5-game lead in the Southern division and are only one game behind Kannapolis for the best record in the Sally League. Pitching has led the way for the GreenJackets, who lead the league in team ERA with a sparkling 2.43 mark. Transactions 2B Kyle McPherson: Assigned to Augusta from extended spring training on 5/25. McPherson was the Giants’ 21st-round pick last season out of James Madison. After playing his pro debut campaign in the Arizona Rookie League, McPherson made his full-season debut on Sunday. He went 0 for 2 with a walk. C John Riley: Assigned to Augusta from Richmond on 5/24. The San Jose native spent three weeks with Richmond before returning to Augusta. He went 1 for 6 in two games upon his return this week. RHP Rayan Hernandez: Assigned to Augusta from extended spring training on 5/23. Hernandez made his full-season debut with a relief outing for Augusta on Wednesday. He didn’t allow a run in 1 2/3 innings. Hernandez was a 23rd-round pick of the Giants in 2013 out of Puerto Rico. The hard-throwing Hernandez had Tommy John surgery and missed all of last season. Notable Performances RHP Jason Bahr (46 2/3 IP, 2.31 ERA, 66:14 K:BB): Bahr had his worst start of the season, proving, perhaps, that he is human after all. It still wasn’t a bad outing, as he allowed four runs in five innings but struck out six and walked only two. Bahr has gone at least five innings in every start except his first outing of the season.

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OF Heliot Ramos (158 AB, .228/.303/.361): Ramos had a solid week, going 7 for 21 with a walk and two RBIs. LHP John Gavin (37 2/3 IP, 1.43 ERA, 47:15 K:BB): Gavin returned after a two-week layoff to put together another impressive performance. In five innings, he allowed a run on three hits and a walk. He struck out five. Gavin has a 0.90 WHIP and a .151 BAA this season.

LHP Joey Marciano (44 2/3 IP, 1.61 ERA, 44:9 K:BB): Marciano walked (two) more than he struck out (one) for the first time this season, but no matter, he still worked six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits on Wednesday. He hasn’t allowed more than five hits in any start this season.

RHP Aaron Phillips (25 1/3 IP, 3.20 ERA, 28:2 K:BB): Phillips worked a season-high 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk. He struck out eight, also a season high. OF Aaron Bond (12 AB, .333/.467/.333): After joining the team on Sunday, Bond made his Augusta debut on Wednesday and was productive in five starts this week. He walked three times and had four singles. Bond also stole a base.

The Athletic Pablo Sandoval makes a diving debut at second base, but Giants fail to turn two against Cubs Andrew Baggarly

CHICAGO — Pablo Sandoval’s equipment bag was groaning full, its zipper puckered open on both sides, and sealing it shut was a two-handed operation. Maybe a knee for leverage, too. He carries his third baseman’s glove. A black first baseman’s mitt. A catcher’s mitt. An outfielder’s glove, even though he hasn’t found himself out there since an All-Star tour of Taiwan close to a decade ago, and offers a personal scouting assessment of “Pssshhshhhh, no chance.” There is a limit to how many wedges a PGA Tour pro can stuff into his bag. Sandoval’s glove collection is limited only by his ability to zip. And now, because he is a major league second baseman, he is carrying a spare middle infielder’s glove, on permanent loan from Brandon Crawford. Some gifts are worth their weight in gold. Others are simply golden. Sandoval spent the past week using that glove to take ground balls at second base, turn double- play pivots and receive a crash course at the position from coaches and Jose Alguacil. But Sandoval had caught pitchers in side sessions since the spring, too. He was

24 considered a break-glass option at catcher. You could assume the same at second base, right? With Joe Panik and Alen Hanson on the disabled list, the Giants were short on fire extinguishers at the position. But when Sandoval made his Giants debut at second base Sunday night, it did not come on a double-switch in the 14th inning or after two players collided or because Bruce Bochy had a momentary lapse of sanity. Sandoval was in the starting lineup at second base for the Giants’ 8-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Kelby Tomlinson has struggled with the bat, Miguel Gomez is no great shakes with the glove anyway, and the Giants had the chance to steal a road series in a ballpark where, sure as God made green ivy, they had not represented themselves recently as a quality opponent. “Pablo lengthens the lineup,” Bochy said. There is length and there is extension. Wouldn’t you know it? On the very first play of the game, the ball found Sandoval. Or he found it while knocking down an infield single that left-hander Ty Blach had deflected. And then, on the very second play, the ball found him again. This time, Sandoval made a diving stop and threw for the out. “The first inning was a little, you know … a little scared,” said Sandoval, who had played just a portion of one inning at the position for the last season. “Then I got a little loose and had fun with it.” For four innings, at least. Sandoval exited on a double-switch with the pitcher, which is an act you seldom see when things are running just peachy for a big league manager. Both starting pitchers, Blach and Tyler Chatwood, had little to no functional command of the strike zone. But the Giants lost because they stranded eight runners in the first three innings, because the Cubs got the biggest hit with runners on base in a game swollen with them, and because the Cubs’ foot soldiers in the bullpen pitched better than their Giants counterparts. It was a sad game of one-upmanship between the two starting pitchers, who each allowed three runs in the first inning. Chatwood twice issued walks to Blach — the second two-walk game of the left-hander’s career, one more than Madison Bumgarner. But then Blach picked an even stronger poison. He walked reliever Randy Rosario, a lefty who entered with one career plate appearance, to start the fourth. “When he walked their pitcher, I didn’t think he was going to swing the bat,” Bochy said. “I mean, Ty, he was just off. … You’ve got to get ahead. It’s Pitching 101. And there were times we shouldn’t have given in and I thought we did.”

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“It’s a rhythm thing, just feel,” Blach said. “And it goes like that sometimes.” It does not spirit away too often for Blach, who is as reliable a strike thrower as anyone the Giants have. He is dependable at fielding his position, too, but allowed a floating liner to clank off his glove when the tying run scored in the first inning.

His day ended when Albert Almora followed the walk to Rosario with a double and Pierce Johnson, a former Cubs first-round pick who had spent his entire career in their organization before the Giants claimed him off waivers last September, did not have a happy homecoming. Javier Baez extended his arms on an outside pitch and drove it most of the way to Sheffield Avenue for a tiebreaking, three-run home run.

Baez leads the National league with 42 RBIs. He is on pace to drive in 138. Johnson gave up two more runs in the fifth but the Cubs were making so much barreled contact that the five-run deficit seemed more like 15. Still, his ability to soak up three innings kept the Giants bullpen from more custodial work as the club finishes its road trip with a three-game series at Coors Field. Bochy said he wasn’t sure if the club would add a 13th pitcher to help cover struggling rookie Andrew Suarez on Monday. Sandoval’s decent showing at second base would appear to make Gomez expendable, and right-hander Dereck Rodríguez is rested, stretched out and pitching very well at Triple-A. But Rodríguez also would require a 40-man subtraction — and that is something to consider when the Giants will have to clear more space in the coming weeks (or days) when Madison Bumgarner, Mark Melancon and presumably Johnny Cueto return from the 60-day disabled list. Then again, they could always let Pablo pitch. Sandoval already gave them an inning on the mound this season, too. “I’m going to be able to do everything,” Sandoval said. “I’m here. This is my new role.” Underestimate the Panda at your peril. That is what Cubs shortstop Addison Russell did when fielding Sandoval’s ground ball with the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning. Russell crow-hopped as if a pitcher were running down the line, but Sandoval hustled out of the left- handed batter’s box and beat the throw as a run scored. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo spat a one-word reaction that didn’t require a lip reader’s intercession. With those speedy middle infielders like Sandoval, there isn’t an instant to spare. In case you were wondering, Sandoval became the heaviest second baseman in baseball history, according to STATS Inc. Then again, listed weights are the most assailable numbers in the media guide. But if it floats your boat, just know that Sandoval is listed at 255 pounds. Dave Parker checked in at 250 pounds when he played an inning at second base for the Pirates in

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1977. also tipped it at 250 pounds when playing two games, starting one, as a svelte 24-year-old for the Blue Jays in 1988. Can a record be official and apocryphal at the same time?

This much was beyond doubt: Sandoval had fun with his assignment. He took Crawford’s feed while turning a double play in the fourth inning, and then accomplished the most impressive feat of the night. He said something that made Crawford break face and laugh. When he made his diving stop on Baez in the first inning, he adjusted his belt buckle, dusted off his front and wagged a finger in the batter’s direction. He acknowledged he didn’t always remember to look over to Crawford to get the pre-pitch signs to indicate who would cover second base. “Sometimes I forget,” he said. “Sorry! First time at second base.” Prior to the game, Sandoval invited a kid wearing a Buster Posey jersey to duck under the ropes and spend a couple minutes stretching with the team. The other players made a circle around him and Sandoval gave him a high-five.

Twitter Ads info and privacy I can’t think of many big leaguers who are consistently outgoing with kids, who are as generous with their time and attention, and who give it away as unsolicited as Sandoval. There will be rough times in every season when baseball isn’t much fun, and the Giants are not having a ball on this trip. They’ve lost four of five in Houston and Chicago. But they are three back in the NL West, and amazingly, a sweep of the Rockies could position them to walk out of Coors Field with a share of first place in the NL West. Even two of three at Coors would position them well for the potential return of Madison Bumgarner on Friday.

A day after Bumgarner struck out eight in 3 2/3 innings for Triple-A Sacramento and announced his readiness to pitch in a big league game, Bochy acknowledged that his left-handed ace has accelerated the plan. “A little bit, sure,” Bochy said. “I haven’t talked to him today, but the way he felt and threw, it’s a possibility he will be moved up.” Friday? “We’ll stay open-minded on anything.” Bochy comfirmed that Bumgarner would target 70 pitches on Friday. The only unresolved question is whether he will throw them against the Visalia Rawhide or the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Extra Innings

— The Giants drew ESPN’s black spot to play Sunday Night Baseball before the standard matinee on Memorial Day in a new city, although the Rockies were kind enough to push back the first pitch to the late afternoon. Bochy planned to cancel batting practice in consideration of the club’s late arrival. — Buster Posey’s right hip remained sore and he didn’t start for a second consecutive day, although Bochy was hopeful of having his catcher back for Monday’s series opener at Colorado. No tests have been scheduled, but they likely will be if Posey’s discomfort lingers another day.

— Panik bid Bochy farewell an hour prior to the first pitch. He headed to the airport to join Triple-A Sacramento and begin his rehab assignment on Monday. It’s likely that Panik will require a week’s worth of games, or 25-30 at-bats as he regains his timing following surgery to repair a torn left thumb ligament. Panik said his thumb responded well to taking swings against a high-velocity machine and he’s confident he will encounter no setbacks. The Giants should have Hanson (hamstring strain) back, or at least an available option to be added back, within a week or so. The second baseman is scheduled to join Single-A San Jose and begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday. — Melancon threw a 14-pitch, 1-2-3 inning of relief for Sacramento on Saturday and will follow up with another appearance on Tuesday. It remains unclear how long the Giants will keep Melancon with the River Cats as he comes back from pronator issues in his forearm, but back- to-back appearances at some point would seem prudent. Also, right-hander Derek Law (ankle nerve injury) was cleared to rejoin Sacramento on Monday.

ESPN.com Power Rankings: There's a new No. 1 among MLB's power trio ESPN.com

The Yankees, Red Sox and Astros might already be establishing themselves as MLB's elite trio, but that doesn't mean there won't be jostling for position during the rest of the season. Witness this week's turnover, as the reigning champs earned three first-place votes to regain the top slot in the rankings. The Red Sox got the other two votes to keep their place at No. 2, which pushed the Yanks down two spots down -- but this seems like far from the last time we'll see these three reshuffle the pecking order among baseball's best.

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EDITOR'S PICKS • Olney: Who's hot in the trade market for relief pitching? Could Kelvin Herrera be the key player on the move? Not every contender will chase stars, but all of them will be looking for help in the bullpen.

• Battle of the Beltways: A historical look at Bryce vs. Manny As these two stars prepare to engage in head-to-head combat once again, we take a look back at their seven-year series to see who has the upper hand. Two teams made four-rung jumps up to further shake up our top 10, the Brewers making their move up to No. 6 while the Mariners shrugged off injuries and a key suspension to crack the top 10, bumping the Cardinals. The only team to make an even larger gain this week was the Mets, who made a five-slot rebound in their latest bit of pingpong up and down the rankings.

Where some gained, others necessarily suffered. The biggest single drop was by the Diamondbacks, declining by another four spaces and still in free fall amid their 2-15 stumble in the standings. The Blue Jays suffered the second-largest drop, falling three slots and out of the top 20.

This week, our panel of voters comprises David Schoenfield, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian, Bradford Doolittle and Sarah Langs.

Week 7 rankings | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason

1. Record: 34-20 Week 7 ranking: 3

The Astros' pitching has been impressive all season long and allowed just 126 runs through 50 games this season, the fewest in the live ball era (since 1920). Plenty has been said about the Astros' rotation, and with good reason, as they have the 's top three starting pitchers in ERA. But don't forget about the bullpen, which also leads the AL in ERA (2.96) and WHIP (1.08). Houston relievers have held opponents to just a .274 OBP this season, best in the majors. -- Jacob Nitzberg, ESPN Stats and Information

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2. Boston Red Sox Record: 36-17 Week 7 ranking: 2

Hanley Ramírez was designated for assignment to make room for Dustin Pedroia on the active roster. Part of the reason that move could be made was the success of first baseman Mitch Moreland in limited stretches. Since May 1, Moreland has slugged .754, best among first basemen with at least 50 plate appearances this month. His .655 slugging percentage so far this year outpaces J.D. Martinez's. -- Dan McCarthy, ESPN Stats and Information

3. Record: 33-16 Week 7 ranking: 1

Gleyber Torres is not the only young bat on the Yankees providing promising production. Miguel Andujar was Keith Law's No. 54 prospect entering the season and has hit .291 in 42 games. He trails just Torres (.320) in batting average among Yankees with 100 plate appearances. His one downside? Andujar has drawn just five walks to this point. -- McCarthy

4. Chicago Cubs Record: 27-22 Week 7 ranking: 5

Despite the Cubs' weak .230 average with runners in , their 5.2 runs per game leads the NL, as does their .771 OPS. That's also despite Anthony Rizzo and having OPS marks more like a defense-minded shortstop, so the NL's best offense has plenty of room to get even better. -- Kenneth Woolums, ESPN Stats and Information

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5. Record: 30-21 Week 7 ranking: 4

The Braves had a "show me" week with a very difficult road trip to Philadelphia and Boston, and Atlanta won just one game while the offense struggled. Something that might have gone unnoticed is has cooled off; after putting up a .988 OPS before May, he has a .718 OPS since May 1, along with a .286 OBP. -- Woolums

6. Record: 34-20 Week 7 ranking: 10

The Brewers' hot start has set a number of franchise milestones this season. They needed the fewest games to reach 30 wins in franchise history (49), then won the next day to give them their best record through 50 games in franchise history (31-19). Though the Brewers haven't lost often, when they do, it's because they don't score. Milwaukee already has been shut out nine times this season, the most in MLB, including last Thursday against the Mets. -- Nitzberg

7. Record: 29-22 Week 7 ranking: 6

The Nationals are starting to look a lot more like the team many picked to reach the this year despite their city's past playoff disappointment (which the Capitals are doing their best to dispel). The Nationals have a plus-43 run differential, sixth best in the majors. Entering May, the Nationals had just a plus-4 run differential. -- Sarah Langs, ESPN Stats and Information

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8. Philadelphia Phillies Record: 29-21 Week 7 ranking: 7

The Phillies have a 3.38 team ERA, fifth best in the majors behind the Astros. Their starters clock in with a 3.33 ERA (fifth in MLB), and their relievers rank seventh with a 3.49 ERA. After Saturday's games, the Phillies were alone in first place in the NL East for the first time since Sept. 28, 2011 -- the last day of the season that year. -- Langs

9. Record: 29-24 Week 7 ranking: 8

Fresh off the best game of his already brilliant career, it's time to ask the annual question: Is Mike Trout actually getting even better? He went 5-for-5 with three doubles and a home run on Saturday against the Yankees, setting career highs for hits, doubles, extra-base hits and total bases (11). As for his season outlook, he's currently on pace to set career highs in home runs, walks, OBP, slugging and OPS. -- Paul Casella, ESPN Stats and Information

10. Record: 32-20 Week 7 ranking: 14

It seems nothing can slow down the Mariners in their quest to end a 16-year postseason drought. They're 9-3 since Robinson Cano received his 80-game suspension, despite the fact that Dee Gordon, Cano's replacement at second, landed on the disabled list less than a week later. If you're looking for positive news, look no further than James Paxton. After putting up a 5.12 ERA in April, Paxton is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 46 strikeouts -- and a no-hitter -- in 38 innings this month. -- Casella

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11. St. Louis Cardinals Record: 28-22 Week 7 ranking: 9

Alex Reyes' impending return is good news for the Cardinals, but they're already third in the majors in rotation ERA (3.02) behind the Astros and Nationals. Their starters have allowed just a .624 OPS, which also ranks second behind the Astros (.579). Reyes had a 1.57 ERA in 46 innings in 2016 and will be returning from Tommy John surgery. In four starts across various levels of the minors this year en route to his return, Reyes threw 23 innings and struck out 44 batters, walking just seven. Sounds like he's ready. -- Langs

12. Record: 26-25 Week 7 ranking: 11

While the bullpen is a shambles and four outfielders are on the DL, other Indians have stepped up to support their team's core stars. Michael Brantley is healthy and hitting with the same authority he delivered in 2014-2015. His OPS+ in those seasons was 139, and is 143 now. And the rotation has been strengthened by rookie Adam Plutko, who contributed to a team shutout of the Cubs last week with his second quality start in two turns. -- Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com

13. Record: 28-24 Week 7 ranking: 12

The Pirates have a nice problem on their hands with four good outfielders to rotate into the lineup now that is back in action, because top prospect Austin Meadows (No. 70

33 on Law's top 100 prospects for 2018) earned the right to stick around after delivering six extra- base hits in nine games. -- Woolums

14. Record: 24-28 Week 7 ranking: 15

The good news is that Chris Taylor has gotten his batting stroke back in May (posting an .922 OPS with a 16 percent walk rate) while taking over at shortstop in 's absence. And they'll get Clayton Kershaw back later this week after he missed a month. What is not working as well? Pushing Cody Bellinger out to center field to keep Max Muncy's bat in the lineup. Bellinger's .683 OPS in May has been his worst month at the plate in the majors. -- Kahrl

15. Record: 25-24 Week 6 ranking: 20

It was a nightmarish week for the Mets bullpen, which posted a 6.75 ERA since Monday after entering the week with a 3.80 ERA. The overall team bullpen ERA is now up to 4.17, which ranks 19th in MLB. Outfielder has been a bright spot of late, with a .318 batting average and .636 slugging percentage since May 13, along with three home runs and seven extra-base hits in that span. -- Langs

16. Record: 28-25 Week 7 ranking: 17

Sean Manaea might finally have some reliable company in the rotation. Daniel Mengden spun his second career shutout on Saturday to stretch his scoreless innings streak to 17. Since Sept. 1

34 last season, Mengden's 2.40 ERA in 16 starts ranks sixth in MLB (between Jacob deGrom and ), and only Corey Kluber has a better walk rate than Mengden's 3.0 percent clip during that span. -- Kahrl

17. Record: 26-26 Week 7 ranking: 13

With both A.J. Pollock and Steven Souza Jr. on the DL, the injury-wracked Diamondbacks lineup has collapsed in May, producing an MLB-worst 2.3 runs per game, .546 OPS, and .109 isolated slugging. While you'd expect getting Jake Lamb back would help, they're below the Mendoza line as a team (hitting .195) against all right-handed pitchers on the season. -- Kahrl

18. Colorado Rockies Record: 28-25 Week 7 ranking: 16

The Rockies find themselves locked in a tight NL West race, but that could all change this week, with Colorado hosting three-game series against the Giants and Dodgers. They might want to ask if they can move those series elsewhere, however, as they currently have a losing record at home and are on pace to put up their best road record in franchise history. -- Casella

19. Record: 21-27 Week 7 ranking: 21

As bad as the Lance Lynn acquisition looks for Minnesota, trading for Jake Odorizzi is looking good. Odorizzi has a 3.17 ERA through 10 starts with 9.2 K/9. That said, Twins fans probably get

35 annoyed with how many home runs Odorizzi allows -- 21 runs this season, but 12 have scored via the 10 home runs he has given up. -- Woolums

20. Record: 25-26 Week 7 ranking: 19

The Rays have been streaky, with two winning streaks of at least six games, yet they're still under .500. One positive has been the recent performance of Chris Archer. The ace has pitched through the first five innings of a start without allowing a run in consecutive outings for the first time since August 2016. His 2.76 ERA in May is a big improvement on his 6.61 ERA entering the month. -- McCarthy

21. Record: 25-28 Week 7 ranking: 18

Through May 17, Tyler Clippard was one of the best relievers in the majors. Among relievers to make at least 20 appearances over that span, his 1.17 ERA ranked sixth. The past week has not been as kind: Over his next four outings, he blew two saves, both resulting in losses, and allowed seven runs over three innings, pushing his season ERA up to 3.46. -- McCarthy

22. San Francisco Giants Record: 25-28 Week 7 ranking: 22

Madison Bumgarner struck out eight of the 12 batters he faced in his rehab start Saturday night in Sacramento, and that couldn't be better news for the Giants. Their starting staff has a 4.76 ERA this season, which ranks 23rd in the majors. Their 1.40 WHIP ranks 23rd, as well, and

36 opponents are slugging .423 against Giants starters -- also 23rd. -- Langs

23. Record: 23-29 Week 7 ranking: 23

The Tigers are in the midst of a 12-game homestand, their longest of the season, and they'll need to take advantage of it given they're 9-18 on the road this season. Only the Orioles are worse on the road this season. The Tigers are hitting .266 at home this season, 23 points better than on the road. -- Nitzberg

24. Record: 22-32 Week 7 ranking: 25

The Padres might not be making a ton of noise on offense this season, unless you count the sound of the ball coming off Franchy Cordero's bat. On Tuesday, he hit a 449-foot home run off Jeremy Hellickson, his fourth home run of at least 440 feet this season (tied for the MLB lead). Cordero's average home run distance is 439 feet, 14 feet longer than anyone else in MLB (minimum five homers). -- Nitzberg

25. Record: 22-33 Week 7 ranking: 24

The Rangers are coming off their best week in what has been a rough season. They took two out of three games against the Yankees, then notched a walk-off victory against the Royals on

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Saturday, courtesy of a historic homer from Shin-Soo Choo. Choo's leadoff homer in the 10th inning was the 176th of his career, surpassing 's career total to give Choo the most MLB home runs hit by a player born in Asia. -- Casella

26. Record: 19-35 Week 7 ranking: 26

Ozzie Albies and Javier Baez have very good numbers, but in a fair world, Scooter Gennett would be deserving of the starting nod at the All-Star Game at second base. Gennett leads NL second basemen in batting average (.340) and OPS (.935) and trails only Albies and Baez in home runs. Gennett also makes for an interesting piece for the Reds -- since he does not become a free agent until after the 2019 season, he could be a valuable trade piece at the deadline. -- Woolums

27. Record: 17-36 Week 7 ranking: 27

Dylan Bundy has posted five starts of at least six innings in which he struck out at least six and allowed three or fewer runs, a total that includes his masterful complete game with 14 K's. Unfortunately, he also faces rough stretches, such as three straight outings of allowing at least seven runs without getting out of the fifth inning. The Orioles are hoping the good Bundy is back for good. -- McCarthy

28. Record: 18-35 Week 7 ranking: 26

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After bringing up the struggles of Danny Duffy last week, Duffy went out and had one of his best outings of the season: He allowed one run and four hits, with five strikeouts in 7 ⅔ innings, his longest outing of the season. He'll have a chance to keep it going next week at Minnesota, as he is 5-1 with a 2.49 ERA in his career against the Twins, including a perfect 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA at Target Field. -- Nitzberg

29. Chicago White Sox Record: 16-34 Week 7 ranking: 30

The White Sox begin the week at 16-34, their worst record through 50 games in franchise history. On the bright side, Jose Abreu has been red-hot lately, raising his season batting average to .313 and finding himself right on pace for a fifth consecutive season with at least 25 home runs and 100 RBIs. The only players to reach those marks in each of their first five major league seasons are and Joe DiMaggio. -- Casella

30. Record: 19-33 Week 7 ranking: 29

As bad as the Fish have been, credit veteran utility infielder Miguel Rojas for adding power to his game. After hitting just four homers in 839 plate appearances before this season, he has ripped seven in 206 PAs this year, more than enough to keep the slick defender in the lineup with JT Riddle back from the DL to resume his duties at shortstop. -- Kahrl

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