Will Wilson has been on an absolute tear for the Eugene Emeralds, hitting over .400 for the team. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson breaks down why this might be Farhan Zaidi’s smartest move ever.
For the second straight day, the Giants made a waiver claim for a Bay Area native, this time adding relief depth.
They claimed right-hander Trevor Hildenberger from the New York Mets and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. The 30-year-old went to Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose) and then played at Cal. On Monday, the Giants claimed former St. Francis (Mountain View) outfielder Braden Bishop.
The transaction had a notable other half. To clear a roster spot, the Giants put infielder Tommy La Stella (hamstring strain) on the 60-day IL. La Stella initially was supposed to miss four to six weeks, but the move means he can't return until the first week of July.
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Hildenberger made just two appearances for the Mets this season. He struck out two in a scoreless inning on April 17 but four days later allowed four earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. He has a 5.52 ERA in 134 big league appearances, but his FIP is 4.19 and he does have some history of MLB success out of a bullpen. In 2017 with the Twins, Hildenberger had a 3.21 ERA and 3.02 FIP in 37 appearances.
Hildenberger is a sidearm pitcher who primarily relies on a sinker in the upper 80s, a changeup that has had good success at the MLB level, and a slider. Given that he's now on the 40-man roster, and the struggles the Giants have had with the right-handers in their bullpen, he could get a shot soon.
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