In the unexpected thick of a wild-card race, the San Francisco Giants are calling up top prospect Bryce Eldridge, multiple outlets reported Monday.
Eldridge, 20, is a left-handed-hitting first baseman and will slide into the spot vacated by Dominic Smith, who is out with a hamstring injury.
In 102 games over three minor league levels this season, he is hitting .260 with 25 home runs, 84 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .843. He has walked 42 times but struck out 127 in 384 at-bats.
MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 13 overall prospect.
The Giants selected the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Eldridge with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of James Madison High School in Vienna, Va.
San Francisco opens a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Monday night just 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the final National League wild card. Arizona also is playing for that spot, two games out.
Entering play on Aug. 23, the Giants (75-74) were 7 1/2 games behind the Mets (77-73) in the wild-card standings. But a 14-6 record by the Giants, combined with the Mets’ 9-13 effort in that time, closed the gap.
The Giants are coming off consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were outscored 23-9.
