The Giants released Tom on Sunday.
Tom appeared in one game with the Giants in April but had otherwise spent the 2022 campaign at Triple-A Sacramento. Over 311 plate appearances at Sacramento, the 28-year-old outfielder slashed .239/.339/.414 with 10 home runs and six stolen bases.
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Giants' Ka'ai Tom: Sent back to Triple-A
Rotowire
Tom was sent back to Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Tom joined the team Friday when Brandon Belt and Steven Duggar tested positive for COVID-19. He went 0-for-1 off the bench and will now return to the minors, with the Giants adding Mike Ford in a trade with the Mariners in a corresponding move.
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Giants' Ka'ai Tom: Promoted to majors
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Tom's contract was selected from Triple-A Sacramento prior to Friday's game against the Nationals, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The 27-year-old journeyman hit .327/.387/.509 with two home runs and one steal in 15 games at Triple-A, although his 25.8 percent strikeout rate is a bit of a red flag, given the jump in competition from Triple-A to the majors. He has a career .139/.278/.231 slash line in 133 MLB plate appearances.
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Giants' Ka'ai Tom: Inks minor-league deal
Rotowire
Tom signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Tom was released by the Pirates on Monday, but he'll head to Triple-A Sacramento late in the regular season. Across 23 minor-league appearances this year, the 27-year-old has slashed .190/.299/.310 with two home runs, seven RBI and six runs.
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Ka'ai Tom: Released by Pirates
Rotowire
Tom was released by Pittsburgh on Monday, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tom was selected in the Rule 5 draft by Oakland over the winter and then claimed by the Pirates in April, but he didn't perform at anywhere close to the necessary level at either stop, hitting .139/.278/.231 in 48 games. He was outrighted to the minors last week, but the Pirates evidently decided that he didn't even have value as organizational depth. At this point in the season, it's difficult to see him returning to the majors for a new team.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Stays with Pittsburgh organization
Rotowire
The Pirates outrighted Tom to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday after he cleared waivers, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tom was a Rule 5 selection by the Athletics over the winter before he was claimed off waivers by the Pirates in April, so the fact that he's staying in the Pittsburgh organization despite no longer possessing a 40-man roster spot suggests that Cleveland wasn't interested in taking back his rights. After submitting a .934 OPS with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Columbus in 2019, Tom didn't look like an MLB-caliber player across his stops in Oakland and Pittsburgh this season, turning in a .139/.278/.231 slash line over 133 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Activated and DFA'd
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The Pirates activated Tom (back) from the 10-day injured list Monday and designated him for assignment, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Tom will be cast off an organization's 40-man roster for the second time this season after the Athletics previously designated him for assignment in April. The Pirates subsequently claimed Tom off waivers and gave him a look in their outfield, but aside from breaking up a German Marquez no-hitter in late June, the 27-year-old provided few highlights between his two big-league stops. As an older prospect who posted a .510 OPS and struck out at a 27.1 percent clip in 133 big-league plate appearances, Tom may not fetch much interest as he heads back to the waiver wire. If that's the case, the Pirates would have to offer him back to Cleveland, the organization that held his rights before Oakland selected him in the Rule 5 draft last December.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Rehab assignment begins
Rotowire
Tom (back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.
Tom has been out with a back strain since early July. Given that he's missed over a month, he'll likely need a handful of rehab appearances before he's deemed ready to go.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Resumes baseball activities
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Tom (back) has resumed baseball activities, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Tom suffered a setback last week, but he's now feeling better and could progress to hitting soon. A timetable for the 27-year-old's return to game action could be established once he ramps up his workload.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Suffers setback
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Tom (back) recently aggravated his back injury and will be shut down until early next week, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Tom resumed baseball activities in early July, and the team was optimistic that he'd be able to return shortly after the All-Star break. However, he's now returned to Pittsburgh, and he isn't expected to resume baseball activities until early next week. It's not yet clear when the 27-year-old will be able to return to game action.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Resumes baseball activities
Rotowire
Tom (back) has resumed baseball activities and the club is optimistic he'll be able to return from the injured list shortly after next week's All-Star break, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Tom hit the IL last Saturday with a low back strain. The fact that the outfielder has already resumed baseball activities is a strong indication that he'll be able to avoid going on a rehab assignment as he looks to be activated shortly after the Pirates return from the All-Star break July 16.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
Tom was placed on the 10-day injured list with a low back strain Saturday, retroactive to July 2.
Tom didn't appear in Friday's loss to the Brewers, and he was apparently dealing with a back injury that will put him on the shelf through the All-Star break. It's not yet clear when the 27-year-old could return to action, but Jared Oliva should see increased playing time in the coming days since Gregory Polanco (hip) is considered day-to-day.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Breaks up no-hitter
Rotowire
Tom went 1-for-3 in Tuesday's 8-0 loss to Colorado on Tuesday.
His ninth-inning single broke up German Marquez's bid for a no-hitter. Tom entered the ninth inning with two hits in his last 44 plate appearances. The Rule 5 pick is slashing .137/.278/.225 in 126 plate appearances but remains on the team, in part, because of a lack of alternatives.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Playing time disappearing
Rotowire
Tom is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Cleveland.
Tom will be on the bench for the fourth time in five games, and the Pirates appear to be viewing him as their fifth outfielder at this stage. All of Bryan Reynolds, Gregory Polanco, Ben Gamel and Phillip Evans appear to be ahead of Tom in the pecking order for playing time at either corner-outfield spot or in center.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Sits after four straight starts
Rotowire
Tom is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
Tom will head to the bench after four straight starts in left field, but he could struggle to pick up regular playing time at the position moving forward now that Phillip Evans is back from the injured list. It hasn't helped Tom's case that he's off to a brutal 2-for-24 start to June, which has dropped his season average to .148.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: On bench again
Rotowire
Tom is not starting Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Tom has yet to get into a groove since returning from the injured list May 29, going 3-for-18 with seven strikeouts and dealing with some wrist discomfort last week. Phillip Evans gets the start in left field Tuesday.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Sits Sunday
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Tom is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.
Though the Marlins have a right-hander (Sandy Alcantara) on the hill, the lefty-hitting Tom will take a seat in favor Ben Gamel. The Pirates may just be holding Tom out as a precaution, given that the rookie recently shook off a wrist injury. Tom started both of the last two games in the Pittsburgh outfield, going 1-for-7 with an RBI and a run.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Returns to lineup
Rotowire
Tom (wrist) is starting Friday's game against the Marlins, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Tom exited Tuesday's game against the Royals due to left wrist discomfort and was held out of the lineup for Thursday's series opener against Miami. He'll start in left field and bat sixth.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Won't start Thursday
Rotowire
Tom (wrist) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.
Tom experienced left wrist discomfort during Pittsburgh's last game Tuesday in Kansas City, and Wednesday's team off day apparently wasn't enough to fully resolve the issue. Ben Gamel will pick up the start in left field in place of Tom, who can be considered day-to-day heading into the weekend.
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Pirates' Ka'ai Tom: Remains with big club
Rotowire
Tom will remain with the major-league club after serving as the team's 27th man during Saturday's doubleheader, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.
This doesn't come as a surprise, as it was reported that the Pirates would try to find a way to keep Tom on the major-league roster. Ildemaro Vargas was designated for assignment, and JT Brubaker was placed on the bereavement list in corresponding roster moves.
