SAN FRANCISCO -- The timing of Joey Bart's back injury couldn't have been worse. He got hurt hours before what would have been his first start of the Giants' season, and a day later he went on the IL.
But the timing of Bart's return to the active roster couldn't be much better.
Bart was activated Monday after two days on a rehab assignment in Triple-A, with Austin Wynns getting designated for assignment after just two games back in the big leagues. With lefty Julio Urias on the other side, Bart got the start Monday and he could start four of the next five games, all of which come against left-handed pitchers. The Giants face Clayton Kershaw in Wednesday's finale with the Los Angeles Dodgers and then will get lefties Joey Wentz and Matt Boyd in Detroit this weekend. Blake Sabol is scheduled to start Tuesday against righty Dustin May.
"Now is a great chance for Joey to take advantage of this opportunity and reward the confidence that the organization and the coaches have in him," manager Gabe Kapler said Monday afternoon. "His talent is undeniable and his leadership characteristics are all intact and I'm looking forward to seeing him go out and get it done."
Bart was on the Opening Day roster, along with Roberto Pérez and Sabol, but he got hurt before the second game of the season and Peréz went down in the home opener on Friday. The Giants signed Gary Sanchez to a minor league deal but he has played just two games in Triple-A and wasn't in camp with an organization this spring.
"There's some rust to knock off," Kapler said of Sanchez.
In the meantime, it will be Bart and Sabol, both of whom have something to prove. Bart struggled offensively last season and it was a surprise when Pérez was chosen to start the first game of the year, but he has a chance to reestablish himself atop the depth chart before Sanchez is ready. As a left-handed hitter, Sabol would be a perfect complement to either of the other two catchers, but he's just 5-for-27 in nine appearances this season.
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To make room for Bart, the Giants had to part ways with Wynns, who started the season in Triple-A but was added to the roster after the Pérez injury. Because Wynns is out of options, it's possible that he gets claimed and the Giants lose another catcher at a time when their depth has already been tested, but they didn't really have many options. That 40-man spot is likely to go to Sanchez at some point soon, but the Giants now will be able to make a claim of their own in the meantime.
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"It's a pretty tough call for Austin Wynns to receive," Kapler said. "We care a lot about Austin and it's just kind of challenging to let him know that we were going to designate him and challenging for Austin to hear given how hard he has worked."