SF Giants to call up top prospects Eldridge, Rodriguez amid six-game losing skid

Consider the Giants’ emergency glass officially broken.

Following a winless six-game East Coast road trip, the Giants are planning to call up top prospect Bryce Eldridge Jesus Rodriguez from Triple-A Sacramento, league sources confirmed to this news organization. Neither Eldridge nor Rodriguez was in Sacramento’s lineup on Sunday.

The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report the news.

The decision to promote Eldridge, who played 10 games with the Giants last September, and Rodriguez, who hasn’t made his debut, doesn’t come as a shock considering just how poorly San Francisco’s offense has performed.

Entering Monday, the Giants rank last in the majors in runs per game (3.11), home runs (19), walks (69), and steals (nine). Their collective .624 OPS is 29th in the majors behind only the New York Mets (.628). They scored just nine runs over six games against the Phillies and Rays (five of which were scored in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader) and failed to hit a single home run.

The 21-year-old Eldridge has been one of Sacramento’s hottest hitters of late. Eldridge is hitting .333 with five home runs and a .963 OPS (158 wRC+). Over his last 10 games, Eldridge is 15-for-37 (.405) with three home runs, nine walks and 11 RBIs. On April 29, Eldridge hit two homers in one game, both off left-handed pitchers.

While Eldridge has been producing, the weak points in his offensive profile remain a concern. He has struck out in 41 of 137 plate appearances, which amounts to a 10th percentile strikeout rate of 29.9 percent. Eldridge also has a whiff rate of 33.9 percent, which ranks in the 12th percentile.

Strikeouts will always be part of Eldridge’s game. The question is whether he can suppress them enough for his elite power to shine. It’s also worth noting that he’s walking more, posting a walk rate of 14.6 percent this season compared to 9.7 percent last season.

The Giants will have to get creative to get Eldridge’s bat into the lineup. The slumping Rafael Devers (.562 OPS) is the everyday first baseman, while the surging Casey Schmitt (.873 OPS) has gotten most of his starts at designated hitter despite his defensive versatility.

With shortstop Willy Adames (.582 OPS) also in a brutal slump and third baseman Matt Chapman hitless in his last four games, the Giants’ best way to get Eldridge into the lineup might be to mix and match. Since Schmitt can play all four infield positions, the Giants could target games to give any one of Adames, Chapman, Devers or Luis Arraez a day off to open up the DH spot for Eldridge.

The San Diego Padres plan to start three right-handed pitchers - Randy Vásquez, Walker Buehler and Matt Waldron - over this week’s series with the Giants, so Eldridge may be in the lineup for all three games.

The question is whether this is truly the right time to promote Eldridge.

Eldridge could provide a spark for a team that has lost six straight and has the worst offense in the majors. That said, in promoting Eldridge at a time when San Francisco’s offense is scuffling, there’s immediate pressure for him to hit the ground running. Eldridge may have tantalizing upside, but asking him to breathe life into San Francisco’s offense is a tall ask for a rookie who’s only had a cup of coffee.

Additionally, there’s also the matter of whether the Giants believe Eldridge is ready to be a full-time major leaguer. They cannot afford to mismanage Eldridge’s development, and that means ensuring he’s in the best position to stay in the majors for good.

The 24-year-old Rodriguez, who was acquired in the 2025 trade that sent Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees, is hitting .330 with two homers, four steals and an .840 OPS while totaling more walks (12) than strikeouts (11).

Beyond his exceptional contact skills, Rodriguez brings an element of defensive versatility. Along with catching, Rodriguez has also played left field (five games) and second base (two games) this season, giving manager Tony Vitello more options to mix and match.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 6:48 PM.