SAN FRANCISCO -- When Kyle Harrison, the Giants' top pitching prospect, was promoted from High-A Eugene to Double-A Richmond last month, it seemed their top hitting prospect wouldn't be far behind.
Marco Luciano got off to a strong start in Eugene, but his progress this season will be slowed by a lower back strain. Luciano hasn't played since June 3, and the Giants announced Wednesday that he is rehabbing the injury at their facility in Scottsdale and will not participate in any baseball activity for at least the next two weeks.
While a lot of the top hitting prospects in Eugene got off to slow starts, Luciano has a .288/.360/.507 slash line in 40 games this season with eight homers and eight doubles. Given the layoff that's ahead of him, it seems likely that Luciano is looking at a return to Eugene in mid or late July, but if he can hit his way up to Richmond by the end of the minor league season, he won't be teammates with Will Wilson.
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The shortstop, acquired in an NBA-style trade with the Los Angeles Angels back in 2019, was promoted to Triple-A earlier this week. Wilson had a .852 OPS and eight homers in 29 games, a very promising line given how tough the Eastern League is on hitters. He primarily played shortstop but also limited time at second and third.
"He was raking in Richmond, and we all know Richmond is not the easiest hitting environment," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. "Putting on my farm director/former minor league player development cap, I think it's valuable to promote a player from a less advantageous hitting environment when they're swinging the bat well to a more advantageous hitting environment, even if it feels a little soon.
"It's an easier transition to make. Sacramento is a nice place to hit, we all know that, and Will has plenty of pedigree and plenty of talent to handle this promotion."
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--- So, when can River Cats fans expect a lineup with Wilson, Heliot Ramos and Joey Bart? Thus far, they haven't even seen Ramos and Bart at the same time.
The Giants gave Bart a few days to get a mental breather after he was optioned and then worked with him on mechanical changes during the start of this week. Bart was coming in early to do his work, and he was even on the field early Wednesday morning, hours before the day game.
Bart will fly to Seattle on Thursday to meet the River Cats, who are currently playing the Tacoma Rainiers. There will be a lot of familiar faces there. Alex Blandino and Kevin Padlo are among the players on the other side, and Anthony DeSclafani will make a rehab start for the River Cats on Thursday night.
--- It has been a rough couple of seasons for former first-rounder Hunter Bishop, but Giants people who have been in to see Eugene lately say his swing is in a much better place. The numbers are promising: After posting a .472 OPS in April, Bishop got up to .703 in May and is now at .821 in June.
The outfielder is still just 23 years old and one of the best athletes in the system. Bishop finding his form would be huge for an organization that hasn't seen much from all the hitters taken in the first round.
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--- The transition to Double-A has been rocky at times for Harrison, which was to be expected. But he still has 30 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.
The strikeouts also continue to come for reliever Cole Waites, who has eight in his first four innings since his promotion to Double-A. Waites, a 24-year-old righty who sits near triple digits, struck out 27 in 12 2/3 innings in Eugene before being moved up.
The Giants are not nearly as desperate for impact arms as they were early last year when Camilo Doval, Gregory Santos and Kervin Castro got looks, but they've shown they'll move relievers quickly, so keep an eye on Waites.
--- Vaun Brown and Grant McCray have been two of the breakout stars of the minor league season for the Giants, and they were rewarded earlier this week when they were brought up to Oracle Park to give the Giants a couple of hitters for Alex Cobb's simulated game. Brown, who currently has a 1.076 OPS, impressed Kapler and others by hitting an opposite-field homer into the arcade.
Cobb, by the way, got the necessary work in. He will return from the IL on Sunday and start the finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.