SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants’ rotation took a hit when the team optioned Hayden Birdsong to Triple-A Sacramento following the worst start of his career. On Friday, they took another blow — one the team believes is only temporary.
San Francisco announced that right-hander Landen Roupp was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Wednesday) with right elbow inflammation, leaving San Francisco with two open spots in its starting rotation. While the injury puts the Giants in a bind, manager Bob Melvin told reporters the Giants consider the injury to be minor.
“I think we caught it at the right time,” Melvin said.
Right-handed reliever Tristan Beck was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.
Roupp underwent an MRI that revealed no structural damage, and the right-hander said he’s “not too worried” about the elbow injury. The plan is for Roupp to pause throwing for a week, and Melvin said the team is confident Roupp will miss the minimum amount of time on the injured list.
The 26-year-old starter said he started feeling the discomfort after his start against the Dodgers on July 12. On Tuesday, his first start of the second half, the elbow “tightened up on me a little bit more” against the Atlanta Braves. Roupp pitched five scoreless innings against Atlanta, but Melvin pulled Roupp after 86 pitches because of the elbow ailment. Roupp didn’t believe the elbow injury affected his stuff against the Braves, most feeling the discomfort in between innings.
With Birdsong in Triple-A and Roupp on the injured list, Melvin described the rotation as “in flux.” Logan Webb and Robbie Ray were set to pitch on Friday and Saturday, respectively, against the New York Mets. Meanwhile, Justin Verlander is slated to pitch on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That leaves Sunday and Monday to be determined.
Melvin said the Giants are considering a bullpen game for Sunday, depending on how Friday and Saturday unfold. Following Sunday’s game the Giants will likely make a roster move before Monday’s game against the Pirates to get a fresh arm on the team. Melvin said left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, the Giants’ top pitching prospect, could be a candidate to be called up. Right-hander Kai-Wei Teng has also pitched well recently, posting a 0.46 ERA over his last four starts with Triple-A Sacramento.
“We do have a pretty extensive ‘pen right now with Beck being here, too,” Melvin said. “We did just have the off day. We’ve got Robbie and Webby going, so hopefully, it’s more in-house on Sunday.”
Roupp had emerged as the No. 3 starter in the Giants’ rotation behind All-Stars Webb and Ray, posting a 3.11 ERA over 101 1/3 innings. Roupp was only six innings away from matching the 107 1/3 innings he threw in the minors in 2022, the most he’s totaled in a single season as a professional.
While the injury will sideline him for two weeks at the minimum, Roupp believes the time off could help him down the stretch.
“It’s not how I wanted it to go, but I think it will help me in the long run pitching into October,” Roupp said. “I’d rather be out there pitching than down for two weeks, but in the big picture, it could definitely help me.”
Roupp’s injury, even if it ends up being minor, highlights the Giants’ need to add starting pitching at the upcoming July 31 trade deadline.
The Giants lost rotation depth last month when they traded left-hander Kyle Harrison and right-hander Jordan Hicks (as well as two prospects) to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three-time Rafael Devers, who will make his second career appearance at first base on Friday. Devers provided San Francisco with a much-needed impact bat, but that deal has left the Giants with a lack of immediate rotation options.
“It feels like every team goes through it, and sometimes when it rains, it pours a little bit,” Melvin said. “We do have some guys we like in Triple-A as far as the depth goes. We’ll see where that goes, and we’ll see what the deadline brings.”
Originally Published: July 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM PDT
