National League West report: Pitching injuries & roster shakeups

San Francisco shakeup

The Giants continue to flounder, last in the majors in runs scored (3.25 per game) and 29th in wRC+ (83), but made a few roster moves with an eye toward the future this week. First was calling up 21-year-old slugger Bryce Eldridge, the consensus top-50 prospect, last Monday for an extended look. Eldridge started five games .. at designated hitter and hit his first major league home run on Saturday, in a game San Francisco lost by 10 runs. On Saturday, the Giants traded starting catcher Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians for pitcher Matt Wilkinson — with the incredible and apt nickname Tugboat — and the 29th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. While Bailey was otherworldly defensively with his two Gold Glove Awards, he hasn’t done much with the bat, a career .224/.282/.329, 72-wRC+ hitter who was hitting just .146/.213/.183 this year. Though you might remember him from his only home run this year, a three-run bomb off Jack Dreyer to beat the Dodgers on April 22, *or* Bailey’s walk-off grand slam last September off Tanner Scott. Steven Kennedy wrote about the Giants Bailing on Patrick for McCovey Chronicles.

Deserted

The Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday designated center fielder Alek Thomas for assignment, jettisoning the rangy defender who was hitting just .181/.222/.340 with a 53 wRC+ in 100 plate appearances this season and a career .273 on-base percentage in five major league seasons. That opened the door for consensus top-100 prospect Kyle Waldschmidt to get his first major league opportunity. Arizona only allowed 10 runs in their six games this week, but still managed to lose three times, thanks to an offense that scored nine runs on Tuesday but only 10 runs over the five games since. Another D-back struggling at the plate is Ketel Marte, who received National League MVP votes in each of the last few years and finished third in 2024. Through Sunday, Marte is hitting just .212/.268/.370 with a 76 wRC+ this season. Jim McLennan at AZ Snake Pit examined what’s wrong with the three-time All-Star.

Divisional notes

• Lincoln Zdunich at Gaslamp Ball wrote about the “little league grand slam” that got past San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. on Friday night.
• Joelle Miholm at Purple Row examined the Colorado Rockies success, or lack thereof, in using an opener this season.

NL West standings

Dodgers 24-16, – – Padres 24-16, – – D-backs 19-20, 4.5 GB Giants 16-24, 8 GB Rockies 16-25, 8.5 GB

The week ahead

• Dodgers: vs. Giants (4 games), at Angels
• Padres: at Brewers, at Mariners
• D-backs: at Rangers, at Rockies
• Giants: at Dodgers (4 games), at A’s
• Rockies: at Pirates, vs. D-backs