LOS ANGELES -- The Giants went with nine right-handed hitters against Clayton Kershaw on Saturday night. Another one joined the roster in the afternoon.
Heliot Ramos was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, with left-handed reliever Scott Alexander going on the 15-day IL because of a strained left hamstring. The move adds another rookie to a roster that's overflowing with them as the season comes to an end.
Ramos, 24, has played 20 games in the big leagues this season but has been unable to secure an extended look. During his call-up in August, his starts were sporadic, but he'll get another opportunity to show that he should be in the mix heading into 2024.
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Ramos hit an even .300 in Triple-A this season with a .928 OPS and 14 homers. He'll join fellow rookie position players Patrick Bailey, Blake Sabol, Marco Luciano, Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald on the active roster. The staff has prioritized getting Fitzgerald, who hit his first homer on Friday, an opportunity over the final 10 games, but it's possible other rookies will get additional at-bats if the team officially is eliminated in the coming days and some veterans get shut down.
While Ramos is hoping to improve his odds for next year, Alexander faces an uncertain future. He had a 4.66 ERA in 55 games, although his 3.26 FIP and 3.67 expected ERA indicate he suffered from some bad luck.
The 34-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season and the Giants might need to wait and see what Sean Manaea decides before making any decisions on left-handed relievers. They have Taylor Rogers signed for two more years and Manaea has a $12.5 million player option for 2024.
