Giants notes: Murphy’s absence opens doors for others in camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As Sam Huff started to round the bases on Saturday, he heard a familiar low grumble.
Huff’s homer in the Cactus League opener came against his former Texas Rangers teammates, and he could pick out Bruce Bochy’s voice as he jogged past the home dugout at Surprise Stadium. With each passing day, the odds increase that Huff soon might settle into a clubhouse where Bochy won three of his four rings.
The Giants announced on Monday morning that backup catcher Tom Murphy had an epidural on a mid-back disk herniation and will miss several weeks. It seems likely at this point that Murphy, who played just 13 games last season, starts the year on the IL, leaving newcomers vying to be Patrick Bailey’s backup.
Huff is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster other than Bailey and Murphy, and he is out of options. The 27-year-old is a former top-100 prospect who has shown an intriguing set of tools this spring. He was interesting even before Murphy got hurt.
The other leading candidate to replace Murphy is veteran Max Stassi, who has 10 years of big-league experience and has long impressed manager Bob Melvin with his soft hands behind the plate and ability to handle a staff. Stassi has dealt with hip injuries in recent years, but he’s healthy right now.
Stassi is not on the 40-man roster, but the Giants wouldn’t have too hard a time finding a spot. If Huff is the choice at the end of camp, the organization would love to have Stassi in Triple-A, and that should be appealing to the veteran, too. The Yuba City native would have the opportunity to play close to home.
Lighting It Up
Right-hander Joel Peguero shocked coaches by hitting 101 mph in his first bullpen session last week. On Saturday, Peguero started 94-96, but once he threw a strike, he ramped things up in a big way. Peguero hit triple digits four times and topped out at 101.7 mph, the hardest pitch thrown in any spring game Saturday.
A day later, Melvin called Peguero “kind of the talk of camp.” The 27-year-old has an inconsistent track record in the minors and was in Double-A last year, but he was a priority sign for the front office in the offseason as the non-roster invitee list was being put together. The key, Melvin said, will be throwing strikes with his breaking ball.
“You see guys kind of filter over to him when he throws a (bullpen session),” Melvin said. “It’s someone we’re excited about. It can be a rough at-bat … he’s opening some eyes right now.”
Where Does He Fit?
Grant McCray had unlucky timing with his first homer of the spring. The second-year outfielder went deep two batters after Bryce Eldridge on Saturday, and the 450-foot blast from the organization’s top prospect soaked up all of the oxygen after the game and, really, over the entire weekend.
But it was a good start for McCray, who is trying to play his way into the heart of the bench conversation. It’s a long shot, as Luis Matos and Jerar Encarnacion are much more likely backup outfielders. The Giants also could carry both Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely, leaving room for just one backup outfielder.
Melvin hasn’t forgotten what McCray showed down the stretch last year, though. The big league staff never expected to see him in 2024, but he came up late and hit five homers in 37 games while showing elite defensive traits. McCray also struck out in 45 percent of his at-bats.
“He knows — that’s what he’s working on this spring,” Melvin said of the strikeouts. “But he’s got some power. He’s trying to shorten his swing a little bit. He’s kind of short to (the ball) and long through, and that’s exactly what he showed on that (homer on Saturday). I don’t think he caught it completely but he’s strong enough to be able to drive it the other way and he tracked it a little bit deeper. It’s something he’s trying to do, put the ball in play, and the power shows up.”
McCray attempted a bunt on Sunday, and given his speed, that really should become a big part of his game. He is almost certain to start the year in Triple-A, but he’s the next man up if something should happen to Jung Hoo Lee. The staff’s preference is to keep Mike Yastrzemski in right, so McCray is essentially the backup center fielder, albeit one who probably won’t be needed early in the year since Lee will play every day.
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