Stripling (back) received a cortisone shot for his SI joint, and he could advance to facing hitters soon, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Stripling told Slusser that he's also made changes to his delivery and is standing more upright than he was prior to his injury. The right-hander has been on the injured list with a back strain since the middle of May, and assuming he does face hitters in the coming days, he could have a chance to rejoin the San Francisco pitching staff around the middle of June.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Throwing bullpen Friday
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Stripling (back) will throw a 25-pitch bullpen before Friday's game against Baltimore, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.
Stripling was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained lower back May 19, and while he was eligible to return Friday, that clearly isn't going to happen. The right-hander will likely throw a few bullpens and possibly make a rehab start before returning to San Francisco's staff later in June.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: MRI reveals no structural damage
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An MRI revealed no structural damage in Stripling's back, and he'll be re-evaluated over the weekend, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Stripling was placed on the injured list with a lower-back strain. He's eligible to return to the Giants at the start of June, and the fact that no structural damage was found could give him a shot at returning in the minimum amount of time.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Placed on 15-day IL
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Stripling was placed on the 15-day injured list with a low-back strain by the Giants on Friday.
Stripling had to be lifted from his last start early with the issue and now it has forced him to the IL. He'll be eligible to return in early June, though it's not certain at this point when he'll be ready, nor is it clear whether he'll be in the rotation or bullpen when he does come back.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Start cut short with back issue
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Stripling exited his start Wednesday versus the Phillies in the fourth inning due to low-back tightness, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Given Stripling's worked out of the bullpen for parts of the season, seeing him fail to complete four innings wouldn't have been out of the ordinary. It's unclear at this time if he'll be able to make his next start on the road versus Minnesota next week. If Stripling is unavailable, Sean Manaea would likely temporarily rejoin the rotation in his place.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Mediocre in start
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Stripling allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two over 3.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Phillies on Wednesday.
With news of Sean Manaea moving to a bullpen role, it appears Stripling has at least temporarily grabbed control of the No. 5 spot in the rotation. He didn't do much to solidify it with this outing, and he's now allowed multiple runs in all but one of his nine appearances (five starts) this season. Stripling is at a 7.24 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB through 32.1 innings. He is tentatively projected for a road start in Minnesota next week.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Draws start Wednesday
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Stripling will start Wednesday's contest against the Phillies, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The Giants have six healthy starters again with Alex Wood recently returning from the 15-day injured list, but the team appears set to maintain a five-man rotation. Stripling looks like he'll stick as the No. 5 starter over Sean Manaea, who will presumably move to the bullpen. Stripling has often pitched as a bulk hurler in 2023 -- he has yet to throw more than five innings in any of his eight appearances for the Giants this season -- and it's possible Manaea could be a relief option for Wednesday's contest as well.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Covers bulk innings
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Stripling allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over 3.1 innings in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks. He did not factor in the decision.
The Giants' offense was able to prevent Stripling from taking a loss, but it was another ineffective appearance for the right-hander. He worked behind an opener (John Brebbia) in this contest, but Alex Wood also returned from a hamstring injury and pitched an inning in relief. With the Giants' rotation back to full health, there's a good chance Stripling will be the odd man out, though the team hasn't revealed its pitching plans beyond Monday. Stripling has a 7.14 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB over 29 innings across eight appearances (four starts).
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Gives up two homers in loss
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Stripling (0-2) took the loss Sunday versus the Brewers, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings.
William Contreras and Willy Adames both hit two-run home runs, and the latter also had a sacrifice fly to account for all of the damage against Stripling. The veteran right-hander has started his last three appearances, giving up 10 runs (nine earned) with a 9:3 K:BB over 13.1 innings. Through seven outings (four starts), he has a 6.66 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 22:7 K:BB through 25.2 innings. Alex Wood (hamstring) started a rehab assignment Sunday, and his return will likely coincide with Stripling's return to a long-relief role.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Five strikeouts over five innings
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Stripling did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and zero walks over five innings during a 7-3 loss to Houston. He struck out five.
After four straight short outings (three as a reliever), Stripling tied his season high with five innings Monday. He also struck out at least five batters for just the second time this season and didn't surrender a walk for a third time. Given his back-to-back solid starts (four earned runs over 8.1 innings), it seems safe to assume Stripling's spot in the rotation is secure as long as Alex Wood (hamstring) remains on the 15-day injured list.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Turns in short outing
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Stripling allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings during Sunday's game against the Mets. He struck out one and did not factor in the decision.
After starting April 2 against the Yankees, Stripling made three appearances out of the bullpen before Sunday's start. He turned in two scoreless frames before the Mets broke through with a run in the third. The veteran righty was charged with two more in the fourth, both of which came after he was removed. Stripling now owns a 6.89 ERA and a 14:5 K:BB through 16.2 frames. Assuming he makes another start, it's currently lined up to be in San Diego.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Back in rotation Sunday
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Stripling will rejoin the San Francisco rotation and start Sunday's series finale with the Mets at Oracle Park, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Stripling opened the season as a member of the rotation, but he made just one start before making his subsequent three appearances as a long reliever. With Alex Wood (hamstring) landing on the injured list earlier this week, Stripling will get a chance to slot back into the rotation, but he'll be doing so with a streamlined repertoire, according to Slusser. Stripling said he has abandoned using the new changeup he had been experimenting with earlier this season, which he hopes will lead to improved command as he moves back into a starting role.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Likely to move into rotation
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Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Stripling has "a good chance" to move into the rotation after San Francisco placed Alex Wood (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Stripling started the Giants' third game of the season back on April 2, but his subsequent three appearances have come out of the bullpen while Sean Manaea has unseated him for the final spot in the five-man rotation. However, with Wood going down with an injury that will sideline him for at least the next two weeks, Stripling appears primed to recapture a starting role. Even while working in relief of late, Stripling still hasn't tossed any fewer than 36 pitches in any of his four appearances this season, so he should be relatively stretched out for starting duty. Assuming Kapler sticks with the plan to add Stripling back to the rotation, the right-hander would tentatively line up to take the hill Sunday versus the Mets at Oracle Park.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Moving to bullpen
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Stripling will work out of the bullpen for the foreseeable future, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Stripling's Giants tenure is off to a brutal start, as he's allowed 10 runs, including six home runs, over 10 innings in one start and two relief outings. Sean Manaea has been more effective and will take over in the five-man rotation while Stripling will seemingly have to work out his issues in long-relief assignments.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Makes second straight relief cameo
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Stripling covered 3.1 innings of long relief in Wednesday's 10-5 loss to the Dodgers, striking out six while giving up two earned runs on two hits and two walks.
Given that he started Giants' third game of the season, Stripling appeared to be locked in as a full-time member of the rotation, but manager Gabe Kapler has surprising deployed the right-hander in relief his last two times out. Kapler hasn't clarified his plans for the rotation moving forward, and it's possible the fact that the Giants had one day off this week (Thursday) and last week (April 4) prompted the team to get by with five starters. Beginning Friday, the Giants will head into a stretch of 14 games in 14 days, so Kapler could look to reintegrate Stripling back into the rotation to afford the other five starters an additional day of rest. Stripling covered 65 pitches in Wednesday's relief appearance, so he should be able to give the Giants a decent amount of length if he's called upon to start again.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Cursed by long ball
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Stripling (0-1) yielded four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings Sunday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Yankees.
Stripling wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and kept the Yankees scoreless through two frames. He then served up three homers over the next two innings, including a 485-foot rocket by Giancarlo Stanton. Stripling got six whiffs on 11 swings with the changeup and 12 swinging strikes overall. He'll have a better matchup next week at home against the Royals.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: To start Sunday against NYY
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Stripling will make his first start of the regular season Sunday against the Yankees, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Logan Webb is getting the Opening Day nod for the Giants on Thursday and then it'll be Alex Cobb on Saturday before Stripling wraps up the three-game set against New York in Sunday's series finale. Stripling, 33, signed a two-year, $25 million contract with San Francisco in December after working to a sharp 3.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 111:20 K:BB over 134.1 innings with the Blue Jays in 2022.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Still working things out
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Stripling has allowed six runs on 13 hits while striking out nine and walking none over 8.1 innings across three Cactus League games.
Stripling made his first start of the spring Sunday versus Oakland after appearing as a reliever in his first two outings. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports Stripling took a comebacker off the glove in Sunday's game, but there's no concern of an injury at this time. The 33-year-old right-hander was effective with a 3.01 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 111:20 K:BB across 134.1 innings with the Blue Jays a year ago, and he should slot in toward the back of the Giants' rotation this season, though his favorable home park could make him worth a look in deeper fantasy drafts.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Deal with San Fran official
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The Giants announced Tuesday that Stripling signed a two-year, $25 million contract.
The deal includes an opt-out after the first year. The Giants seemingly have more starters than they have rotation spots following the recent additions of Stripling and Sean Manaea, but the former does offer previous relief experience, if needed.
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Giants' Ross Stripling: Signs two-year deal with Giants
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Stripling signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Giants on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The contract contains an opt-out after the first season, though the Giants likely won't complain too much if Stripling pitches well enough to exercise it. The 33-year-old righty produced career bests in ERA (3.01) and WHIP (1.02) and innings (134.1) last season. His 20.7 percent strikeout rate was mediocre, as it's been for the last few seasons, but his 3.7 percent walk rate was third best among pitchers who threw at least as many frames. The risk of a sudden downturn can't be ignored for any pitcher Stripling's age, but he's found himself in an ideal pitchers' park as he looks to repeat last year's success.
