SAN FRANCISCO — Bruce Bochy has tried to mix and match veterans with rookies the past couple of weeks. He doesn’t wants to throw out a Triple-A lineup against teams that are competing for postseason spots.
At some point, though, the Giants will turn it over to the youth for a game or two. Bochy said there’s a good chance he puts all the rookies together for games that don’t matter as much — think the two series against the Padres — but he also continues to lose options for young lineups.
Steven Duggar had season-ending shoulder surgery last week and Ryder Jones will have season-ending knee surgery this week. Jones had an MRI on Monday that showed his dislocated left knee needs to be repaired. He was hurt taking a swing Sunday in Milwaukee.
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“He was excited about getting some playing time,” Bochy said. “It’s tough for these guys when this happens. This is a setback, but you’ve got to deal with it.”
Duggar had shown enough to go into next season as the opening day center fielder. Jones was hoping to show he’s a strong candidate for a bench spot, but he’ll now have to have a huge spring. The silver lining? Youth is still on his side. Jones, who hit two long homers in eight at-bats this season, won’t turn 25 until next summer. He still is a year younger than most of the rookies who have made an impact this season.
--- Bochy had Chris Shaw on the bench Sunday but nearly gave him a start against a lefty on Monday. However, Sean Newcomb holds lefties to a .186 batting average. Shaw will be in the lineup Tuesday against hard-throwing righty Mike Foltynewicz.
--- The Braves come in at 79-64 and atop the NL East. This was supposed to be another rebuilding year for them, but they found two young superstars in Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. Albies, the 21-year-old second baseman, has 22 homers. Acuna, just 20, has 25 homers in 92 big league games.
San Francisco Giants
“When you play these guys you understand why they are where they are,” Bochy said of the Braves. “Especially with these two young kids.”
The Giants did sweep the Braves in Atlanta in May. That might have been the high point of the season.
--- The Giants have lost eight straight. They haven’t lost nine straight since July 23-Aug. 1, 2006.