Travis

Denker

Denker is hitting .269/.432/.456 in 58 games for Columbus, but that’s since he was demoted from Single-A Vero Beach in June. He hit .310/.417/.556 in 101 games at this level last year. Since he just turned 21 this month, it wasn’t a massive setback that he wasn’t ready for the Florida State League. Still, his stock is down from where it was a year ago. There’s always been skepticism about whether he’ll last at second base, and he might not have the bat to survive a move to the outfield.

Denker, who turned 22 this month, is batting .294/.369/.450 in 402 at-bats in his second year in high-A ball. He has some offensive potential, but since he’s not a very good defender at second base, he’s a long shot to reach the majors.

The Giants are leaving Jesse English available despite his reemergence last season. He might be picked up by some team looking for a lefty reliever. Denker, who was acquired from the Dodgers for Mark Sweeney in August, would be interesting if he showed he could handle second base at higher levels.

He’ll head to Triple-A Pawtucket. Denker has some offensive potential, but with Dustin Pedroia entrenched at second base in Boston, he doesn’t figure to get much of a shot with the big league club.

Denker was claimed off waivers from the Padres in early April and hit just .248/.332/.349 in 298 at-bats at Triple-A Pawtucket. The 23-year-old can opt to seek out a minor league contract with another club or accept an assignment back to Pawtucket. He doesn’t fit into Boston’s long-term plans, so it’s probably best if he moves on.

Durham’s homer tied the game an inning after John Bowker hit a two-run shot to get the Giants on the board. Durham raised his average to .298 with the effort, and now has three homers on the season. He’s bolstered his trade value after a brutal 2007, and the Giants should be looking to trade him and get Travis Denker into the lineup more regularly.

This could very well go down as the Giants’ high point of the season. Denker, whose blast came off Shingo Takatsu, improved to 4-for-9 this spring. The infielder was picked up from the Dodgers last August for Mark Sweeney. He’s due to open 2008 in Double-A, but with the Giants’ infield so unsettled, anyone turning in a fluky spring could make the club.

Brian Sabean has very little left to lose, so he can just keep running through young players, not caring what it’s going to do to them or the Giants down the line. Denker was hitting .314/.417/.510 in 51 at-bats for Fresno, but that was after he hit .184/.308/.263 in 76 at-bats in Double-A. He’s a fringe prospect without the glove for second base or the bat for third. It would do the Giants little harm to play him over Rich Aurilia and Jose Castillo. However, there’s no good reason to have both he and Manny Burriss on the roster.

Denker put up a decent .243/.333/.486 line in 37 at-bats for the Giants, but he wasn’t getting regular playing time and had only two hits in his last 18 at-bats.

Denker replaced Ray Durham in a lopsided game and reached in two of his three plate appearances, collecting a single and then the homer. He’s 4-for-13 since being called up 12 days ago.