Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Back in action at Triple-A
Rotowire
Whisenhunt (foot) returned to Triple-A Sacramento and started Saturday versus Tacoma. He allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four over three innings in a no-decision.
Whisenhunt was out for a month with a foot injury and returned to Sacramento after pitching five scoreless innings over two rehab appearances at Single-A San Jose. He's struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, pitching to a 5.96 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 106:44 K:BB over 80 innings across 20 starts. A high walk rate (4.9 BB/9 this year at Triple-A) has troubled Whisenhunt in the upper levels of the minors, though he still has elite strikeout stuff (11.9 K/9).
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Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Overcoming foot injury
Rotowire
Whisenhunt has made two rehab starts for Single-A San Jose since landing on Triple-A Sacramento's 7-day injured list July 22 with a sore foot, MLB.com reports.
Whisenhunt covered two scoreless innings last Tuesday and three scoreless innings Sunday, striking out six batters while allowing one hit and three walks between the two outings. The Giants haven't revealed the next step for Whisenhunt, but he could be ready to rejoin the Sacramento rotation later this week. The left-hander owns a 5.84 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 102:43 K:BB in 77 innings at the Triple-A level this season.
Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Reassigned, but healthy again
Rotowire
The Giants reassigned Whisenhunt (elbow) to minor-league camp Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Whisenhunt will exit big-league camp without having made a Cactus League appearance, but he'll seemingly enter the minor-league season with his health intact. He was behind many of the Giants' other pitchers earlier in camp after finishing the 2023 season on Double-A Richmond's injured list with a left elbow sprain, but he faced hitters in live batting practice last week and should gradually ramp up in games on the back fields of minor-league camp. Whisenhunt is expected to begin the upcoming season with Richmond but could merit consideration for the big-league rotation at some point later in 2024.
Whisenhunt (elbow) will face hitters Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Whisenhunt has been slow-played this spring after he ended last season in the minors with a sprained left elbow. He could be cleared to pitch in games before the Cactus League schedule runs out. Assuming health, Whisenhunt is likely to begin the season at Double-A Richmond.
Whisenhunt (elbow) is making solid progress in his rehab work and is on track for a normal spring training, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
This is promising news for the southpaw, who was placed on the 7-day injured list earlier this month due to a left elbow sprain. The team was initially concerned that Whisenhunt would need Tommy John surgery or a different elbow procedure, but this latest update allows San Francisco to breathe a sigh of relief.
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Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Shut down with elbow sprain
Rotowire
Double-A Richmond placed Whisenhunt on its 7-day injured list Friday after he was diagnosed with a left elbow sprain, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The Giants will wait and see how Whisenhunt responds to rest and rehab before re-evaluating him in four weeks. If Whisenhunt hasn't healed as hoped by the start of September, Tommy John surgery or another elbow procedure could be in the cards for the 22-year-old lefty. Regardless, Whisenhunt may face an uphill battle to return to action in 2023, a disappointing outcome for an ascending pitcher in the San Francisco system. In addition to turning in a 2.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 83:23 K:BB in 58.2 innings over three minor-league stops this season, Whisenhunt also turned in a dominant inning of relief in the All-Star Futures Game in July.
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Giants' Carson Whisenhunt: Too many walks at Double-A
Rotowire
Whisenhunt has a 4.97 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and a 19:10 K:BB in 12.2 innings through four starts for Double-A Richmond.
The owner of one of the best changeups in the minors, Whisenhunt touched 96 mph with his fastball and struck out the game's best prospect, Jackson Holliday, with a changeup in the Futures Game. He dominated in six starts at High-A (1.42 ERA, 0.67 WHIP) after impressing in four starts at Single-A to open the year, but Whisenhunt has finally reached a level that is challenging him. His 17.2 percent walk rate is concerning, but the sample against Double-A hitters is very small.
