Giants' Jakob Junis: Picks up win as primary pitcher
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Junis (3-2) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four over 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday over the Brewers.
Six pitchers combined for the shutout, and Junis led the way by getting seven outs. He hasn't given up a run over his last 6.1 innings, posting a 10:2 K:BB with four hits allowed in that span. The right-hander has a 4.13 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 33:14 K:BB over 28.1 innings through 14 relief appearances this season. The Giants continue to use Junis in a swingman role -- he and Sean Manaea, who had a hold with 1.1 scoreless innings Thursday, are options to serve as primary pitchers whenever manager Gabe Kapler opts for a bullpen day.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Takes loss Friday
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Junis (2-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings Friday versus the Diamondbacks, taking the loss.
Junis got the last two outs of the fifth inning in relief of Ross Stripling, but he couldn't carry that success into the sixth. Arizona pounced for two runs and the Giants couldn't bounce back. Junis has been scored on in five of his nine appearances this season while operating primarily as a long reliever. He's now at a 5.14 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 21:10 K:BB across 21 innings.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Could fill bulk-relief role Tuesday
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Junis is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opener John Brebbia in Tuesday's game against the Cardinals, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.
Tuesday had been lefty Sean Manaea's turn in the rotation, but manager Gabe Kapler is expected to push the southpaw to the back of the Giants' pitching schedule to optimize matchups against the Cardinals' right-handed-heavy lineup. With that in mind, Manaea presumably won't be called upon to work in long relief during the three-game series with St. Louis, making Junis the top candidate to eat innings once Brebbia exits Tuesday after what will likely be a 1-to-2-inning start. Junis should be well rested after having not pitched since April 18, when he recorded eight outs in relief.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Takes loss in relief outing
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Junis (2-1) allowed three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out one over 2.2 innings, taking the loss Tuesday versus the Marlins.
Junis was responsible for Jazz Chisholm's three-run home run in the fourth inning, and the Giants' offense didn't bounce back from it. With starter Alex Wood (hamstring) likely headed for the injured list, one of Junis or Ross Stripling, who both pitched Tuesday, should get a look in the rotation. Stripling is a bit more stretched out, having covered 12.1 innings over four games compared to Junis' 12.2 innings in five appearances. Junis has struggled to a 4.26 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB this season while filling a swingman role.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Snares second win
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Junis (2-0) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four over four scoreless innings Thursday to earn the win over the White Sox.
Junis has won both of his appearances this season, allowing just one run over 6.1 innings. He was efficient Thursday, throwing 44 of 69 pitches for strikes after starter Alex Wood needed 71 pitches to complete three frames. Junis' role as a swingman is clearly paying off when he can vulture some wins, but that's not a particularly reliable source of fantasy value. He's unlikely to be called upon for a few days after this long-relief assignment.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Earns win Saturday
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Junis (1-0) allowed a run on three hits and no walks while striking out two over 2.1 innings to earn the win Saturday versus the Yankees.
Alex Cobb was inefficient, throwing 47 of 76 pitches for strikes as the starter. Junis stepped up, getting the last out of the fourth inning and tossing two more frames with decent results in his first appearance this season. He was assigned a swingman role after failing to win a spot in the Giants' bullpen during spring training. While his fantasy value is limited for now, the right-hander's favorable home park could give him some appeal if injuries in the rotation allow him to get some starts. Junis had a 4.42 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 112 innings last season, his best ratios since 2018.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Will fill swingman role
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Manager Gabe Kapler said Thursday that Junis will be a swingman out of the bullpen rather than a starter to begin 2023, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Junis was in competition for a starting spot, but with the Giants' starters at full health, there was no room for him in the rotation. Webeck adds that Kapler is considering Junis in a piggyback role early on, typically in a pairing with Alex Wood. The choppy schedule early in the season means the Giants won't necessarily need a fifth starter until their first home series of the year, so going with pitching tandems could help ease all of the pitchers into the season. Junis' appeal in fantasy is limited in a bullpen role, but he could vulture some wins away from starters if he's able to regularly get two or three innings in a bulk-relief assignment. He's pitched to a 5.19 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 11:1 K:BB across 8.2 innings over four Cactus League appearances.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Likely to fill versatile role
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Junis is considered the Giants' seventh starter this spring, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Junis doesn't have a clearly defined role yet -- he could be a starter when injuries arise, a piggyback reliever or a more traditional multi-inning option out of the bullpen. The right-hander added 10-15 pounds of muscle in the offseason after battling shoulder and hamstring issues in 2022. Junis' best path to fantasy relevance is in the rotation, but he's never posted an ERA lower than 4.30 in any of his six seasons, so his appeal at age 30 is limited.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Settles at $2.8 million
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Junis signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Giants on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Junis put up a 4.42 ERA and 98:25 K:BB over 112 innings for the Giants in 2022 while serving as a traditional starter and bulk reliever. The 30-year-old would appear to be slated for a relief role in 2023, at least to open the season.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Allows four runs during loss
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Junis (5-7) took the loss Saturday against the Diamondbacks. He allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings.
Junis entered the game in the second inning after lefty Scott Alexander served as an opener for 1.1 innings; Junis' most notable blemish occurred on a two-run double from Sergio Alcantara to give the Diamondbacks a 3-1 lead in the fourth. The righty has struggled during his last 11 appearances, recording a 6.20 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 53.2 innings. The 30-year-old has not allowed a home run in three straight games.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Working behind opener
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Junis will pitch behind opener Scott Alexander as the bulk reliever Saturday against the Diamondbacks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Junis also served as a long reliever during last Sunday's win over Arizona and picked up the win, allowing a run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven in 5.1 innings. He should be able to handle a similar workload while pitching behind Alexander once again Saturday.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Following opener Sunday
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Junis will pitch behind opener Scott Alexander as the bulk reliever Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
In theory, Junis should have a better chance at earning the win when following an opener, though the right-hander should still be viewed as a high-risk streaming option. He hasn't recorded a win since June 10 and sits with a 6.60 ERA since the beginning of August.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Hit hard in no-decision
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Junis allowed six runs (five earned) on 12 hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 4.1 innings against Colorado on Monday. He did not factor in the decision.
As has been the case for countless hurlers in Colorado, Junis' stuff simply wasn't working Monday, as he gave up a season-high 12 hits (four of which went for extra bases). However, Rockies starter Chad Kuhl had nearly as difficult a time, and Junis avoided taking a third straight loss. The right-hander has given up at least four earned runs in three of his past five starts and has logged a 7.13 ERA and 1.83 WHIP during that difficult stretch.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Six solid innings in loss
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Junis (4-5) took the loss Thursday against the Brewers after he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings.
The right-hander allowed two doubles - one of which drove in a run off the bat of Christian Yelich - while covering the second through seventh innings behind opener Scott Alexander. Junis has posted a 6.03 ERA in 34.1 innings across his last seven outings, allowing six runs in two of those appearances. This is just the third time the 29-year-old has pitched six innings or more in his last nine games.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Following opener in Game 1
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Junis is expected to follow opener Scott Alexander in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Brewers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Junis has failed to last five frames in each of his past two starts and will pitch behind an opener in Thursday's twin bill. Overall, the right-hander has a 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 76:18 K:BB across 86.2 innings.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Fans five in no-decision
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Junis did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings against the Phillies. He struck out five.
The Giants staked Junis to a lead twice within the first three innings, but he gave up the lead both times. While Junis looked like a new man earlier in the season, he has run into trouble lately, surrendering 11 earned runs and four home runs in his last three starts. Junis is pitching through a small fracture on the palm of his left (non-throwing) hand.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Ineffective in loss
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Junis (4-4) took the loss Sunday in Minnesota, allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out two in 4.1 innings.
Junis failed to make it through five innings for the fifth time in seven starts since the All-Star break. The 29-year-old held the Twins scoreless through the first two frames but allowed a run-scoring double in the third, a two-run homer in the fourth and three more runs in the fifth. Five of the nine hits he allowed went for extra bases. Since the break, he's compiled a 5.68 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 31.2 innings. His next start will likely be next weekend against Philadelphia.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Plans to start Sunday
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Junis said Tuesday that he's dealing with a "tiny" fracture on the palm of his left hand, but he's feeling significantly better since exiting his last start Aug. 21 against the Rockies and plans to take the hill Sunday in Minnesota, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Junis exited the Aug. 21 start after taking a line drive off the base of his glove and near the bottom of his non-pitching hand, with the 29-year-old being diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his palm. Fortunately for Junis, the injury doesn't look like it'll be anything that forces him to the injured list, as the Giants already list him as their probable starter for Sunday's contest. He'll carry a 3.58 ERA and 1.10 WHIP into his 17th appearance and 14th start of the campagin.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: TBD for Sunday's start
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Junis (hand) will remain on turn for now, but the Giants will continue to evaluate him ahead of Sunday's scheduled start against the Twins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Slusser notes that it is a pain tolerance issue in Junis' non-throwing hand, and that he could get skipped or pushed back if there are any concerns at all ahead of Sunday's game. He has been excellent over his last two starts, logging a 2.63 WHIP, 0.66 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 13.2 innings, with one of those starts coming in Coors Field.
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Giants' Jakob Junis: Initial scans negative
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Junis (hand) underwent scans that came back negative after leaving Sunday's game against the Rockies, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Junis was hit by a comebacker on his glove hand in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday, but initial test results are encouraging. The right-hander will undergo a CT scan Monday, but it's possible that he avoids a trip to the injured list if he ultimately isn't dealing with structural damage. If he's cleared to make his next start, he projects to start on the road against Minnesota on Sunday.
