Sabol isn't in the Giants' lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.
Left-hander Ty Blach will start on the mound for Colorado, meaning the lefty-hitting Sabol will begin Saturday's contest on the bench. Curt Casali will start instead behind the dish while batting ninth.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Getting steady playing time
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Sabol will serve as the Giants' designated hitter and No. 7 hitter in Thursday's game against the Rockies, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Sabol will pick up his fourth start in five games, though he'll be filling a non-defensive role Thursday after each of the prior three starts came at catcher. The 26-year-old should continue to see the bulk of the action behind the dish while both Patrick Bailey (concussion) and Tom Murphy (knee) are on the injured list. Sabol has gone 6-for-12 with a double and a walk since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento last weekend.
The Giants recalled Sabol from Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday.
The move corresponds with San Francisco placing catcher Patrick Bailey on the 7-day concussion IL. Sabol has played 21 games in Triple-A this season, slashing .243/.378/.324 with three doubles, 16 walks, one home run and six RBI over 91 plate appearances with Sacramento. Sabol played in 110 games for the Giants last season and finished with a .235 average, 13 home runs and 44 RBI. He'll provide depth behind the plate while Tom Murphy takes over as the primary catcher in Bailey's absence.
The Giants optioned Sabol to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Sabol's chances at making the Opening Day roster as a third catcher were already low, and he'll officially head back to the minors to begin 2024 after slashing .211/.333/.263 across 24 plate appearances during spring training. The 26-year-old backstop posted a .969 OPS during his last Triple-A stint in 2022, and he may be able to hit his way back into San Francisco if he performs at that level in 2024.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Back in action Wednesday
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Sabol (groin) will return to action Wednesday for the Giants' Cactus League contest against the Angels, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Sabol is not in the lineup but will come off the bench and play some left field. It will be the 26-year-old's first game appearance since March 5, as he's been plagued by a right adductor strain. Sabol should be ready in time for Opening Day but appears ticketed for Triple-A Sacramento to start the season.
Sabol (groin) will begin baseball activities and a running progression Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Sabol suffered a right adductor strain earlier this month but has been cleared to being ramping things back up. A timeline for his return to game action isn't clear, but it would seem a stint on the injured list to start the season could be in the cards.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Scheduled for MRI
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Sabol pulled his groin adductor during the Giants' spring training game against Milwaukee on Tuesday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.
Sabol sustained the injury while attempting to beat out an infield single. He will use the Giants' day off Wednesday to receive an MRI, which should offer more clarity on the severity of his injury and how long he may be out for.
Giants' Blake Sabol: Could get looks at first base
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Sabol will likely get a look at first base in spring training, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Sabol, a natural catcher, is behind at least Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy at that position. He also saw time in left field last season, but manager Bob Melvin wants to add more versatility to Sabol's profile. The 26-year-old had to stay on the major-league roster all of last season after being acquired in the Rule 5 draft from the Reds, but Sabol will be able to be optioned to the minors if he can't carve out at least a utility role in 2024.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Goes yard in loss
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Sabol went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Guardians.
Sabol has just three hits over his last 15 at-bats, but two of them have been homers, and he's accounted for four RBI in that span. The catcher's fifth-inning blast Tuesday was the Giants' lone run of the contest. He's up to a .244/.306/.409 slash line with 13 long balls, 42 RBI, 36 runs scored and three stolen bases over 101 games this season. With Patrick Bailey (concussion) likely returning Wednesday, Sabol's playing time is probably set to be reduced.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Key part of winning rally
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Sabol went 1-for-2 with one RBI, one stolen base and one run scored in Monday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Guardians.
Sabol provided a game-tying RBI single in the 10th inning, then stole second and scored on LaMonte Wade's single for the winning run. The steal was Sabol's third of the season and his first since April 26. The 25-year-old has gone just 2-for-12 (.167) in September, but both of his hits this month have proven valuable. For the season, he's slashing .243/.304/.399 with 12 home runs, 41 RBI, 35 runs scored and nine doubles across his first 100 major-league contests.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Swats 12th homer
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Sabol went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-8 win over the Rockies.
Playing time has been fairly sparse for Sabol lately, but he's gone 7-for-23 (.304) across his last eight contests. His homer Friday was his 12th of the season, but his first since July 19. The rookie catcher/outfielder is at a .245/.304/.404 slash line with 40 RBI, 34 runs scored, two stolen bases and nine doubles through 97 contests. Sabol and Joey Bart will likely split time behind the plate while Patrick Bailey (concussion) is out -- Bart has drawn the start at catcher in two of the three games Bailey's missed so far.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Heads to bench Sunday
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Sabol is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.
Sabol had started at either catcher or in left field in five of the past six games, but he'll join several of the Giants' left-handed hitters on the bench Sunday while Atlanta brings southpaw Max Fried to the hill. Though he's continued to receive fairly steady playing time of late, Sabol has mustered a lowly .483 OPS while striking out at a 43.5 percent clip since the All-Star break.
Sabol will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Rays, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Sabol went 1-for-8 at the dish while starting each of the past three games in left field, but he'll shift behind the plate Wednesday while No. 1 backstop Patrick Bailey rests in the series finale. The Giants seem content to give Sabol a look as their primary left fielder against right-handed pitching while all of Mike Yastrzemski (hamstring), Mitch Haniger (forearm) and AJ Pollock (oblique) are on the injured list.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Sitting in second straight
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Sabol is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The Giants have now faced left-handed starters on consecutive days, so it comes as little surprise that the lefty-hitting Sabol hasn't been included in the lineup for either of those contests. The rookie Rule 5 selection doesn't have a clear path to a regular spot in the lineup versus right-handed pitching either, but the Giants have often made an effort to find room for Sabol at either catcher, designated hitter or left field by resting one of their everyday players. Sabol has held his own when the platoon advantage is in his favor, as he owns a .280/.332/.492 slash line (123 wRC+) with 19 extra-base hits in 211 plate appearances versus righties.
