After six at-bats in a Giants uniform, A.J. Pollock's short time with San Francisco is coming to an end.
The Giants placed the veteran outfielder on UR waivers just over a month after acquiring him at the 2023 trade deadline, the team announced Tuesday. MLB Network's Jon Morosi first reported the news Monday.
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The 35-year-old came to San Francisco as part of the team's lone trade at the deadline, with the Giants sending cash considerations or a player to be named later to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Pollock, utilityman Mark Mathias and cash considerations.
"Obviously he hasn't had a great season in Seattle," president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said after the trade. "We kind of look at some of the underlying measures of plate discipline, how he's moving around the field, his sprint speeds are good, and we just view him as a really good change-of-scenery candidate. He's got a lot of relationships with people here, guys that he's played with before, and I know that all those guys are really excited to have him because he's just a great presence in the clubhouse.
"It fills a short-term need in the outfield with [Mike Yastrzemski] going down, but even as we get guys back I think there's a role for him to be part of our outfield rotation and help."
Pollock appeared in five games for the Giants and made a pair of starts in the outfield, going 0-for-6 with two strikeouts at the plate, before suffering an oblique strain in early August that was expected to sideline him for about three weeks.
San Francisco Giants
He was pulled out of the Giants' 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 8 in the third inning with the injury and was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day. In his injury rehab assignment with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats over the weekend, Pollock went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts and a walk in two games.
It was unclear how Pollock would fit into the Giants' crowded outfield picture long-term when he was acquired on July 31, especially considering the fact that he was recovering from a hamstring injury at the time.
He might have had a chance to contribute had he remained healthy, but given Mike Yastrzemski's return from his own IL stint and plenty of other right-handed hitting outfielders to choose from, San Francisco appears to have decided Pollock's tenure in the Bay will be short-lived.