ATLANTA — Following a disastrous outing where he failed to record a single out, Hayden Birdsong was asked whether there had been conversations regarding where his next outing would be. That is, the majors or the minors.
Birdsong told reporters he was unsure. On Tuesday afternoon, the Giants provided the answer.
San Francisco announced on that the team has optioned Birdsong to Triple-A Sacramento following his outing on Monday where he faced six batters and failed to record a single out.
Additionally, right-handed reliever Tristan Beck was also optioned to Triple-A Sacramento after throwing 6 2/3 innings of relief in a four-day span. Right-handers Carson Seymour and Sean Hjelle were recalled from Sacramento in a corresponding move.
San Francisco’s decision to option Birdsong, who made the Opening Day roster out of spring training, does not come as a surprise given his command issues in recent weeks.
In his last three starts before the All-Star Break, Birdsong walked 13 batters over 13 innings and posted a 7.62 ERA. The Giants skipped over Birdsong’s spot in the rotation against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which gave him two weeks off in between starts.
On Monday, Birdsong’s first start since July 6, the 23-year-old was pulled from the game before he could record a single out. Birdsong faced six batters, allowing five runs on four walks, a hit and a hit-by-pitch.
With Birdsong failing to provide any length, the Giants’ already taxed bullpen had to cover eight innings in what ended up being a 9-5 loss, which extended the team’s losing streak to six games.
Beck retired all four batters that he faced, but he was likely optioned because of San Francisco’s need for a fresh arm. On Friday, Beck pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief when Justin Verlander failed to get through three innings.
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