'I feel really good': Trivino ecstatic to compete for Giants' roster spot
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-- Reunited with manager Bob Melvin, Lou Trivino hopes to soon make his long-awaited return to the big leagues, pitching on the other side of the Bay.
The right-handed reliever hasn¡¯t pitched in a Major League game since 2022, but finally feeling fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, he signed a Minor League deal with the Giants last month. Now, Trivino is competing for a roster spot.
¡°I¡¯m excited to be pitching, period, to be honest with you,¡± Trivino said. ¡°You know, it¡¯s been a while and I¡¯m excited to show people what I have. I feel good. I feel really good, yeah. My arm feels good and everything feels good.¡±
Trivino first worked with Melvin in 2018, when he made his big league debut for the Athletics. Trivino proved to be a key cog in the Athletics¡¯ bullpen over the next four seasons, as the club found itself in the thick of contention in the American League West. The A¡¯s won 97 games in back-to-back seasons (2018 and ¡®19), won the AL West title in ¡®20 and compiled 86 wins in ¡®21. Trivino made 221 appearances for Oakland over the course of those four years.
In his rookie campaign, Trivino logged a 2.92 ERA. By 2021, Trivino had become the club¡¯s primary closer, picking up 22 saves that season. He was dealt to the New York Yankees along with Frankie Montas at the 2022 Trade Deadline, in exchange for JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, Luis Medina and Cooper Bowman.
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Trivino posted a 1.66 ERA for his new club across 20 1/3 innings, but sustained an elbow injury prior to the start of the 2023 season. The elbow strain required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entire season.
¡°Obviously, TJ is never easy and I had an unfortunate amount of setbacks, so it was unfortunate,¡± Trivino said. ¡°But that being said, I was able to be there for the birth of my little girl and be home a lot with her, so it was the best, worst-case scenario. [I was] able to be around family a lot more than I would have otherwise been, so there¡¯s always good with the bad.¡±
He struggled to return to form in 2024, and was shut down from throwing in the middle of May. Trivino made 11 relief appearances between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset, clocking a 4.91 ERA. The Yankees did not tender him a contract upon the completion of the season, making him a free agent.
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Trivino was given the chance to reunite with Melvin, and didn¡¯t need to think twice. The decision was a no-brainer.
¡°Since I played a lot under ¡®Bo-Mel,'¡± Trivino said. ¡°We were able to talk a little bit, and it just seemed like a good fit for me overall, honestly. Nothing too crazy [went] into the decision. [It] just seemed like a good fit, and there [were] a lot of people from Oakland that I know. Especially with ¡®Bo-Mel,¡¯ it seemed like a good fit.¡±
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Trivino has impressed in Giants camp. The 33-year-old veteran completed his fourth scoreless outing of the spring on Sunday, and has a legitimate chance at cracking the club¡¯s Opening Day roster.
¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Melvin said. ¡°It¡¯s been clean. [He¡¯s been] throwing strikes. He did have a leadoff walk the other day, but [it¡¯s] looking kind of like [he has] a similar repertoire. It¡¯s just how he¡¯s gonna do when we get him out there [on] back-to-back days, and a little more often, but so far, so good. He¡¯s off to a good start.¡±