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Giants call up Matt ‘Tugboat’ Wilkinson with eye toward 2027 rotation options

San Francisco Chronicle · Susan Slusser; Staff Writer · 2026-08-17T18:57:43+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Just as the San Francisco Giants are heading to play at Cleveland, the team is calling up Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson — a starter they acquired from the Guardians on May 9. San Francisco got Wilkinson, a 23-year-old left-hander, in exchange for catcher Patrick Bailey, setting up a potential matchup during the series, likely Wednesday. Batters are hitting .187 overall against Wilkinson, combined, at four levels this season; he had a 5.15 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A Sacramento but much of the damage against him was contained to two outings in which he allowed 12 runs. He’s had some terrific starts recently, too, most notably seven shutout innings at Tacoma earlier this month in which he struck out nine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One potential plus: Wilkinson struck out 43 and walked 17 at Sacramento and the Giants are looking for starters who throw strikes. He’s got 390 career Ks and 113 walks in 313⅔ innings in the minors. San Francisco is evaluating options for next year’s rotation, and Wilkinson very much could be in the mix with some solid performances in the final six weeks. Wilkinson is not on the 40-man roster but would have to be added to be protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason. Daniel Susac is a potential 60-day injured list candidate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wilkinson’s a sturdy fellow, at 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, and his nickname stems from his childhood when a friend of the family watched him run the bases. Other fun facts: Wilkinson’s fastball is known as the “Invisi-ball” for its unusual movement, and the Calgary resident pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Wilkinson isn’t the only player joining the Giants who is likely to face his former organization on this trip. Infielder Marcelo Mayer, acquired at the deadline from Boston, is expected to join San Francisco in time for the series at Fenway Park at the end of the week.