Kyle Harrison His first Major League Baseball of the season will begin this afternoon. Giant Southpaw will object Jake Irvin In the second game in Washington this weekend.
Manager Bob Melvin said Friday that the 23-year-old Harrison will be on two rounds in the spin (passed by De Los Santos of San Jose Mercury News). Melvin will not commit to his role other than that, saying “the point is the next two starts. Then we will see where we go from there.”
Harrison once was one of the game's highest pitching prospects, at least temporarily assuming the location Justin Verlander. The three-time CY Young winner was on the injured list earlier this week with a sore chest. Verlander is confident that he will return when he first restored his place on June 3.
The Giants choose Harrison Jordan Hicks Back to the rotation or promotion Carson whispersthey need to add it to the 40-man lineup. If Verlander can get back to the bullpen as expected, he may return to the bullpen, but any other starter setback or injury could lead to longer runs.
In spring training, Harrison is a favorite to win the fifth starting job. He won 24 games a year ago, posting a 4.56 ERA with league average strikeouts and walking numbers in 124 1/3 innings. However, he was postponed in camp amid offseason shoulder soreness and illness, allowing Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong Jump him to the depth map. Rupp won his fifth starting role. Birdsong received multiple relief scenes on the opening day and has since been replaced by Hicks' rotation. Harrison was selected as Sacramento's Triple-A season begins.
Harrison started six games on Triple-A, scoring 3.46 ERA in 26 innings in the tough pitching league. He hit a third of his opponent, which is the second best mark for PCL pitchers (after A's only A's. Jacob Lopez). Harrison also kept his walking rate in the 7% clip of 7% and recalled him to the Grand Slam in early May. Since then, the Giants have used him out of the bullpen four times. He worked in 5 1/3 innings, two rounds and hit seven on three walks. His fastball sat in the 93-94 range in his minor league rotation job, averaging 96 mph per hour for a short period of time.
