Luis Arraez Keeps Bryce Eldridge on Giants Bench Against Dodgers

luis arraez is one of the players shaping Bryce Eldridge’s early path with the Giants, and that path narrowed again Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tony Vitello said the top prospect will primarily come off the bench after being called up a week ago, leaving Eldridge out of the lineup for a second straight game.

The change matters because Eldridge was expected to play a lot after his promotion, but he has now sat out on Sunday and Monday and has been on the bench in three of his last four games. He has one start in that stretch, and that was the game in which he hit his first career home run.

Tony Vitello Shifts Bryce Eldridge

“Eldridge will primarily be coming off the bench,” Vitello said ahead of Monday night’s game. For a prospect who just arrived a week ago, that puts the emphasis on selective at-bats rather than a regular run of starts.

His first 14 at-bats have produced two hits, five strikeouts and one walk. Those numbers help explain why the Giants are not handing him steady playing time yet, even with the call-up still fresh.

Giants Infield Crowds the Picture

The roster around him is already built up at the spots where he would normally fit. Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers already have major money commitments from the Giants, while Casey Schmitt has done great as the DH and luis arraez has been exceptional at the plate and defensively at second base.

That has forced the Giants to juggle who starts where. When they sat Chapman for a game, Schmitt started at third base. When they sat Adames for a game, Schmitt started at shortstop.

Bryce Eldridge’s next chances will likely come the same way, through openings rather than a fixed role. For now, the Giants are using the bench to keep his bat available while they keep their established infield and DH mix in place.