The Giants’ top pitching prospect will not be eligible to be re-added to the roster until Sept. 30, during the final series of the season.
DENVER — Kyle Harrison, the Giants’ top pitching prospect who was expected to provide a boost to their rotation in the playoff chase, was optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento before Friday’s series opener against the Rockies in a surprising move intended to shore up their pitching staff ahead of four games in three days at Coors Field.
Since striking out 11 batters over 6⅓ innings in his electric home debut last month, Harrison has allowed 15 runs in 14⅔ innings over his previous three starts, a 7.36 ERA. Unless another Giants player is placed on the injured list, Harrison won’t be eligible to be recalled until Sept. 30, the final series of the season.
Complicating matters this weekend, Alex Cobb won’t make his scheduled start in one of two games of their day-night double-header Saturday. Still dealing with the hip impingement he has dealt with since June, Kapler said Cobb’s last start was “especially grindy.” He’ll take the ball Tuesday in Arizona instead.
Keaton Winn, the Giants’ other young starter, will get the ball in Game 1 of the twin bill. Game 2’s starter will be determined by the state of the Giants’ pitching staff after their first two games of the series, Kapler said, though one option could be Ross Stripling, who was added to the roster in place of Harrison.
Harrison’s fastball velocity was down for the fourth consecutive start Wednesday against the Guardians, and club personnel believe that has been the root cause of his troubles. The heater, which touches the upper 90s and typically sits 94-95, was down to an average of 92.8 mph in his last start — 91.8 on the one that Jose Ramirez deposited into the left field bleachers, the seventh homer Harrison had allowed, the most by any Giants pitchers in his first five starts.