SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos is expected to sit out the first week of Cactus League games after being shut down with a minor oblique issue, manager Bob Melvin said Sunday.
Melvin said Ramos’ injury wasn’t severe enough to warrant an MRI exam, but the Giants want to be cautious to ensure the 25-year-old doesn’t experience any setbacks before returning to the field.
“It’s mild, but this time in camp, we’re going to make sure he’s 100 percent,” Melvin said. “He’s had oblique [issues] in the past.”
Ramos was among the first wave of cuts in Spring Training last year, but he’s now in line to serve as the Giants’ Opening Day left fielder following his breakout campaign in 2024, when he earned his first career All-Star nod and batted .269 with a .791 OPS and 22 home runs over 121 games.
Melvin said left-hander Erik Miller is also being ramped up slowly after experiencing some numbness in his finger early in camp. Miller remains on track to throw a live batting practice session at Scottsdale Stadium on Monday and could get in a game after that if he bounces back as expected.
Miller, 27, logged a 3.88 ERA over 73 appearances as a rookie in 2024 and is currently the only lefty reliever on the Giants’ 40-man roster, making him a player the club can ill afford to lose leading up to the regular season.
“We were going to semi-slow play him anyway with the workload he had last year,” Melvin said.
There are several non-roster invitees who could have a chance to replace Taylor Rogers as San Francisco’s second lefty in the bullpen this spring, including Joey Lucchesi, Raymond Burgos, Antonio Jimenez and Enny Romero.
Lucchesi is the most experienced member of the group, but the early standout so far appears to be the 23-year-old Jimenez, a former Rays prospect who posted a 3.79 ERA over 41 appearances between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham last season.
“He’s got good life on his heater,” Melvin said. “He knows where it’s going. It looks like he’s got his wits about him. He’s got some toughness to him. A little changeup that always plays with the righties, too. Breaking ball. He’s been impressive. He’s a guy that we’re going to give some looks to. Another one of those guys that might get in an earlier game and pick up a starter or something like that. It’s been impressive for a young guy like that.”
Tyler Fitzgerald, who is projected to serve as the Giants’ starting second baseman, has also been slowed by a bout of lower back tightness, but he’s progressing well and could make his Cactus League debut in the next three days or so. Backup catcher Tom Murphy remains shut down with an oblique strain and is expected to seek a second opinion, according to Melvin.
Adames makes Giants debut
New shortstop Willy Adames made his Cactus League debut at designated hitter on Sunday, going 1-for-2 with a walk in a 5-2 win over Cincinnati at Scottsdale Stadium. Adames collected his first hit in his first at-bat as a Giant, lining a single to left field off Reds starter Nick Martinez in the first inning.
Adames will return to action in the Giants’ split-squad game against the Rockies at Scottsdale Stadium on Monday, when he’ll start at short and play alongside third baseman Matt Chapman for the first time this spring.
Webb, Birdsong take the mound
Logan Webb hasn’t always been a great Cactus League performer -- he recorded a 10.97 ERA over six exhibition outings last year -- but he got off to a better start on Sunday, tossing two perfect innings in his 2025 spring debut.
“I don't remember the last time I had a clean outing in the spring,” Webb said, smiling. “No hits, no walks. I just had to get the jitters out, and I felt really good.”
Webb, who was named the club’s Opening Day starter last week, said he’s experimenting with a new windup and is working on sliding his back foot on the rubber to help him get out of some bad mechanical patterns.
“Just trying to make sure I stay consistent,” Webb said. “I think when I do have my mechanics right, you see there are more 94 [mph pitches] than there are 91s with my sinker.”
Hayden Birdsong, who is competing for the fifth spot in the Giants’ rotation, followed Webb and gave up one run on two hits while striking out three over two innings. The 23-year-old right-hander topped out at 98.96 mph on the Scottsdale Stadium scoreboard, which eclipsed the hardest pitch he threw in the Majors last season (98.4 mph).
“To throw hard, you’ve got to throw hard,” Birdsong said.
Like Webb, Birdsong is making some tweaks on the mound this spring, as he moved from the first-base side of the rubber to the third-base side at the suggestion of Justin Verlander and pitching coach J.P. Martinez.
“It helps my slider,” Birdsong said. “It’s a little different, but I like it. So far, so good.”