NEW YORK — When the Giants called up Marco Luciano, their top decision-maker, Farhan Zaidi, said the club was going to “give him a good chance at that position” and that their vaunted prospect was going to “get some run.” » at shortstop in the absence of Nick Ahmed.
Just two weeks later, Luciano’s name was missing from the starting lineup for the final two games of the Giants’ road trip. In their series finale Sunday against the Mets, manager Bob Melvin opted for left-handed hitter Brett Wisely over Luciano, even with Sean Manaea, a left-hander, on the mound for their opponents.
“Maybe not Marco’s best trip, defensively speaking,” Melvin said before first pitch Sunday.
In five matches, Luciano has made five errors. Four of them, including his last after coming off the bench Saturday night, came in the ninth inning or later.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth in Tuesday’s 7-6 loss at Pittsburgh, Luciano was unable to handle a hard chopper that could have been a game-ending double play. He was eaten again two days later on a grounder that put the first man on base to start the bottom of the ninth.
In New York, Luciano flew a pitch in the first inning Friday night and missed another double play ball late in the inning. The following night, Luciano was removed from the starting lineup in favor of Wisely, but was inserted after a series of substitutions and almost immediately made his fifth error in as many games, missing a point-blank shot from the sophomore goal Thairo Estrada.
“Sometimes when you’re struggling a little bit defensively, those are the hardest plays because you have time to think about it,” Melvin said. “These are the instinctive plays that we don’t think about a lot. He made some good plays on this road trip on some of the tougher plays. So he’s just going through a little period here where it’s not great, but that happens a lot with younger guys. With anyone.
Before each of the last two games – both morning starts, which generally don’t feature much infield work beforehand – Luciano was at shortstop, taking ground balls. He also demonstrated responsibility, sitting at his locker willing and ready to answer questions after his mistakes.
“I felt bad for him. I felt bad for myself,” Luciano said through Spanish interpreter Erwin Higueros after his mistake Tuesday, the only one that impacted the team in the win-loss column. “I want at least help bring out a force But these things happen…I didn’t put my glove the right way.
At the plate, he’s been positive, hitting .391/.462/.565 in nine games since being recalled. Wisely, meanwhile, provided three hits and scored the go-ahead run in Saturday’s extra-time win.
“We’re going to give him some extra work today, get him some distance, then go home,” Melvin said. “The most difficult thing is that he handles the bat very well too. They both are. It’s like that. … We’re just trying to do things right day by day. It’s a little more difficult with a lefty on the mound. This is what we have today.
With Logan Webb, one of the league’s best ground ball throwers, on the mound Sunday, Melvin said the Giants would like to maximize their interior defense.
But, he acknowledged, “it’s not like Wisely played a lot of shortstop either.” Sunday marked his 35th short game at any level of professional baseball.
The Giants will provide an update on Ahmed upon their return to San Francisco, where the veteran Gold Glove winner has remained to continue rehabbing his sprained wrist, although Melvin said, “I don’t know if he’s close.”
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