The Giants beat the Cardinals, 11-3, on Tuesday for their third-straight win. They've won six of eight overall and sit 35-32 on the season, good for the third NL wild-card spot at present. There was a bit of bad news from the win, as outfielder Mitch Haniger was hit with a pitch that fractured his right forearm.
That has cleared the way, though, as hot-hitting outfield prospect Luis Matos was promoted to the majors on Wednesday.
Haniger, 32, has been pretty cursed with injuries in his MLB career. He's only managed two full seasons; he was an All-Star in one and got down-ballot MVP votes in both (finishing 11th in 2018 and 20th in 2021). He hasn't done much this season, slashing .230/.281/.372. He's now down at least several weeks, and manager Gabe Kapler told reporters the injury might require surgery.
Perhaps that's where the 21-year-old Matos can make an impact. Though he missed the top three this year, he was the Giants' second-ranked prospect in the spring of 2022 by CBS Sports prospect guru RJ Anderson. He had a rough 2022, but he's crushing the ball this year. He was promoted from Double-A after 31 games and in 24 games for Triple-A Sacramento, he's hitting .398/.435/.685 with six doubles, two triples, seven homers, 20 RBI, 21 runs and six stolen bases.
Kapler told reporters of the move Tuesday after the game and reporters Wednesday noted that Matos was already in the Giants' clubhouse.
"I think it's all right to talk about that silver lining," Kapler said (via The Athletic). "Obviously Matos has been swinging the bat really well. It's an exciting moment for the organization, obviously coming on the heels of something that was really disappointing. But we're obviously excited about what Matos can bring to the table when he ultimately makes his debut for us."
Matos has experience in the minors in all three outfield spots, but he's primarily played center field. He's in the starting lineup as a center fielder Wednesday, hitting second.
