Giants' Harrison Bader, Tristan Beck return as roster shuffle continues

LOS ANGELES - Moves seem daily recently, and Monday brought more: The San Francisco Giants restored center fielder Harrison Bader to the roster and added reliever Tristan Beck to provide a fresh arm in the bullpen.

Dylan Smith, called up just one day earlier, went back to Triple-A Sacramento after getting two outs in Sunday's 12-inning game; he threw nine pitches and walked one. Also heading back to Sacramento was catcher Logan Porter, who was in San Francisco for two days after Patrick Bailey was traded.

Bader, who went on the injured list with a hamstring strain April 15, hit .222 with two homers in six games and 18 at-bats with the River Cats. He was batting .115 with a home run in 15 games with San Francisco.

"There's a sole reason why I couldn't perform," Bader said before Monday's game. "So we just addressed it in this time period and I'm excited to be back.

"It's been a weird start, so I'm excited to have a kind of a fresh slate, if you will, and go out there and help the team win."

With Bader out, Drew Gilbert and Jung Hoo Lee both got time in center. Lee is the primary right fielder, however, and Bader and Gilbert could both see time in center should Gilbert remain on the roster.

"I think Bader struggled to find himself early in the year because he wasn't himself physically, literally," manager Tony Vitello said, "Then Drew has done well for us in some bright spots, but it's a very small number of games he's played in his career. So we're still looking to kind of find out what we've got with both those guys, I don't mind saying that."

San Francisco must make at least one more roster move this week, when catcher Daniel Susac (shoulder) returns from the IL, and Gilbert or third catcher Eric Haase, the team's only catcher with extensive big-league experience, are the two most obvious candidates to come off the roster at that point.

Haase would have to be designated for assignment and go through waivers; he cleared earlier this year, but veteran catchers often are in demand.

Bader was in the lineup batting eighth at Dodger Stadium on Monday, with Lee in right and leading off.

Beck, who spent portions of the previous three seasons with the Giants, had a 5.40 ERA in 13 games at Sacramento, with opponents batting .294 against him.

The Giants used six relievers in Sunday's game and five Saturday - plus infielder Christian Koss in the ninth - and they don't have a day off until May 21.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 7:06 PM.