Thanks to Darren Ford’s ankle sprain, it sounds like the Giants will soon have a roster spot open up. However, manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that a move involving Brandon Belt isn’t likely.
“To be honest, Belt is more of a longshot,” Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle. “What we’re looking for is more of a bench type player and more depth, a pinch-hitter.”
Belt, who struggled as the Giants’ first baseman while Cody Ross was on the DL last month, is batting .351/.484/.546 with four homers and 21 RBI in 30 games for Triple-A Fresno. He’s dominated righties to the tune of a .394/.531/.606 line.
With the Giants struggling to score runs, bringing up Belt and using him as a platoon left fielder would make sense. However, the Giants don’t want to go that route yet. They’re certainly a far better defensive team with Nate Schierholtz in right and Ross in left, an alignment they’ve been using more frequently lately.
Besides, even though they’re dead last in the NL in runs scored, the Giants are sitting in first place in the NL West with a 27-20 record. And their road to returning to the playoffs appeared to get a little smoother with Tuesday’s news that the Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa would need Tommy John surgery.
