When the Giants unveiled their Opening Day roster in March, the most notable omission was right-hander Nick Tropeano, who made a compelling case to be included on the 26-man roster following his strong performance in Cactus League action.

¡°It was a difficult decision and not the easiest conversation letting him know that he wasn't going to be on our Opening Day roster,¡± manager Gabe Kapler said at the time. ¡°But I feel pretty confident he's going to make an impact for us this year.¡±

Tropeano will finally get that opportunity, as the Giants called up the 30-year-old veteran ahead of Friday night¡¯s series opener against the Dodgers at Oracle Park. Tropeano replaced struggling rookie Camilo Doval, who was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento after posting a 7.59 ERA over his first 13 appearances in the Majors.

To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Tropeano, the Giants designated right-hander Trevor Hildenberger for assignment.

Tropeano signed a Minor League deal with the Giants over the offseason and posted a 2.79 ERA over three starts with the River Cats this year. He spent most of his career as a starter for the Astros and Angels, but he found greater success after transitioning to the bullpen with the Pirates in 2020, when he logged a 1.15 ERA over 15 2/3 innings.

Tropeano will be a candidate to start in place of the injured Logan Webb (right shoulder strain) on Saturday, but Kapler said the Giants wouldn't finalize a decision until they can evaluate the state of their bullpen following Friday¡¯s game. If left-hander Alex Wood delivers a strong start against the Dodgers, Tropeano could be tapped to do the heavy lifting in a bullpen game on Saturday.

¡°He gives us the possibility to use him as a length option today, and obviously, he's squarely in the mix for some innings tomorrow as well,¡± Kapler said before Friday's series opener. ¡°He performed very well for us during Spring Training, and he's a guy that we believe in.¡±

The Giants have another fallback option in left-hander Scott Kazmir, who was scratched from his scheduled start for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. If San Francisco¡¯s bullpen is taxed after its first clash with the Dodgers, the 37-year-old Kazmir could have an opportunity to return to the Majors for the first time since 2016.

A three-time All-Star, Kazmir recorded a 2.84 ERA over 6 1/3 innings in two appearances with the River Cats this year. The Giants would have to clear another 40-man spot to add Kazmir, who also joined the club on a Minor League deal over the offseason.

¡°We still have a couple of balls in the air and some decisions to make,¡± Kapler said.

Doval, 23, will return to the Minors for some extra seasoning after surrendering four home runs over 10 2/3 innings this season. Doval hadn¡¯t pitched above Class A ball prior to this year, but he was quickly thrust into high-pressure situations after earning his first big league callup in April. The hard-throwing reliever initially dazzled with his precocious poise, but he also battled command issues, particularly with his high-octane fastball, and had allowed runs in each of his previous three outings.

¡°He did a good job for us,¡± Kapler said. ¡°We believe that he's going to be back and making an impact on our Major League club at some point in the season. We think he has a chance, when that happens, to stick for even longer. The messages were very positive. He was extremely receptive and understood the decision completely. He was an absolute pro about it. I believe that he's going to be back.¡±

Injury updates

? First baseman Brandon Belt returned to the lineup Friday after missing five games with left side tightness.

? Catching prospect Joey Bart departed Triple-A Sacramento¡¯s game after five innings on Thursday with groin tightness, but Kapler said the Giants don¡¯t believe the injury is serious. The early exit was unrelated to backup catcher Curt Casali, who is doing OK after being hit by a pitch in the Giants¡¯ 19-4 blowout in Cincinnati on Thursday.

Pence¡¯s pop-up

Former Giants outfielder Hunter Pence and his wife, Lexi, are hosting a coffee pop-up at Baseballism, a retail shop located across the street from Oracle Park in San Francisco, on Saturday and Sunday. The Pences designed a limited-edition ¡°Rise + Grind¡± bundle through their coffee and lifestyle brand, Pineapple Labs, and will be on hand to serve drinks to the first wave of customers.

All proceeds from the ¡°Rise + Grind¡± bundle will benefit Pitch in for Baseball & Softball, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing equipment to kids whose families can¡¯t afford it.