CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Harrison has a new role in his return to the San Francisco Giants.
Harrison joined San Francisco’s bullpen ahead of a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs. The left-hander, one of the team’s top prospects, started each of his first 106 appearances as a professional ballplayer.
“We’ve told him to be ready to pitch,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said before Monday night’s 9-2 loss to the Cubs. “What we’re trying to do here is, you know, you pitch well and you perform well then you work your way back, not necessarily in the role that he was in there. But in talking to him, he’s going to embrace any opportunity that he gets.”
Harrison, 23, was officially promoted after Sunday’s 9-3 victory over Colorado. Right-hander Lou Trivino was designated for assignment.
Harrison was selected by San Francisco in the third round of the 2020 amateur draft. He made 31 starts for the Giants over the previous two seasons, going 8-8 with a 4.47 ERA.
He was in the mix for the fifth starter job in spring training, but he was slowed by an illness at the beginning of camp. He was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on March 22.
Harrison had a dip in velocity, but Melvin said it looked as if he found his form in the minors. Harrison went 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in six starts with the River Cats.
“He was sick for a while. You know, spring training was kind of uneven for him,” Melvin said. “Now you’re looking up there and not seeing the numbers that you want to see, and I think he was very understanding and patient with the fact that it was probably going to take a little while for it to come back and the last few times out it has.”
The move puts a second lefty in San Francisco’s bullpen, with Harrison joining Erik Miller.
The 33-year-old Trivino has a 5.84 ERA in 11 appearances with the Giants this season. He allowed two hits while pitching a scoreless inning against the Rockies on Sunday.
“You look around the league and there’s going to be opportunities for Lou, and probably a better opportunity for Lou,” Melvin said. “With the way our bullpen was pitching, he wasn’t getting regular work. He wasn’t pitching in the type of roles that he was used to.”
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