The Giants activated newly acquired outfielder AJ Pollock and inserted him into the lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, but his roster addition came at the expense of one of the rookies fans want to see.
Top prospect Marco Luciano was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento roughly 30 minutes before first pitch at Oracle Park, ending his first MLB stint after just four games.
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Pollock was the only major move the Giants made ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline, and they needed to figure out how to get him on the roster. With Brandon Crawford back from the injured list and Thairo Estrada's return looming, San Francisco decided to send Luciano back to Sacramento where he can get regular at-bats.
Isan Diaz will remain with the big league club for the time being because he has experience playing second base, something Luciano does not. Fellow rookie Casey Schmitt has shown the ability to handle playing three positions, adding to his value.
In his first four MLB games with the Giants, Luciano collected three hits in 11 at-bats, including one double. He walked once and struck out five times. He is viewed as the shortstop of the future and is a phone call away in Sacramento if injuries arise.
San Francisco Giants
Pollock will make his Giants debut and bat ninth against Cy Young candidate Zac Gallen. San Francisco is taking a gamble on the former All-Star outfielder, who hit just .173/.225/.323 in 49 games with the Seattle Mariners this season.