SAN FRANCISCO -- Two days after they traded Austin Slater, the Giants made another move with a struggling veteran.
Shortstop Nick Ahmed was designated for assignment as part of a big roster shuffle on Tuesday afternoon. Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada and Blake Snell all came off the IL, with Slater and Ahmed clearing two roster spots and a third being opened up when they sent lefty Kolton Ingram back to Triple-A.
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The goal seems to be clear for a team that is three games under .500 with a week left until the MLB All-Star break. By getting rid of Slater and Ahmed, the front office has opened up additional at-bats for Luis Matos and Brett Wisely, the latter of whom figures to be the starting shortstop now that Estrada is back to handle second base.
Ahmed was signed during camp to bring a more reliable glove to shortstop, but he posted a .581 OPS with just one homer. His defense was strong early but took a dip in recent weeks, which coincided with Wisely looking like he could handle shortstop at the big league level.
One of the reasons the Giants preferred Ahmed over Brandon Crawford was that they figured it would be much easier to DFA a newcomer if Marco Luciano looked ready to become the everyday shortstop. Luciano has yet to get going in Triple-A, but Wisely is ready for additional reps, and he'll now get them.
Snell returns after three rehab starts, including five no-hit innings in his final Triple-A appearance. He'll start Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
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