Giants' Sam Long: Falls short in roster bid

The Giants optioned Long to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Long's demotion comes as little surprise after he was blitzed for seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits and three walks while striking out seven over 5.2 innings across his four appearances in the Cactus League. The southpaw was previously one of the Giants' more interesting pitching prospects when he joined the organization in 2020, but he's struggled to stake a claim to a regular role in the big leagues the past two seasons. It's unclear if the Giants intend to have him continue his development as a starter at Sacramento or make a full-time move to the bullpen.