Zaidi reveals which two prospects could receive September look originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Giants are running out of time to climb back into the NL wild-card race, sitting 6 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres for the final spot.
As September rolls around, the team could see a couple of new faces to help make one last push for a wild-card spot, or at the very least, see if the player could be part of the major league roster next season.
On Wednesday, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi joined KNBR’s “Tolbert & Copes” to discuss two names that could be called up in September.
“We’d like to actually have the guys who have been the two best performing hitters in the PCL this year, in David Villar, who we’ve seen some of, and Isan Díaz,” Zaidi said.
“And so our hope was always to give those guys a more extended look at some point, not just as a September, ‘Hey, let’s build for the future, but while we’re playing important games, maybe those guys could help us. ‘ “
Villar had a cup of coffee in the major leagues this season, appearing in 23 games with 80 plate appearances during his brief stint. The 25-year-old batted .175 with one home run and seven RBI.
Zaidi hopes that another look will allow Villar a chance to transition his Triple-A bat to the major leagues. In 83 games with the Sacramento River Cats this season, the infielder is batting .276 with 27 home runs and 82 RBI.
Meanwhile, Díaz also has major league experience during his three years in the Miami Marlins organization, where he played 145 total games. This season with the River Cats, the 26-year-old has hit .275 with 23 home runs and 61 RBI.
“Villar, when he came up, we didn’t see the same power that we saw in Triple-A, but he did some things well, and he’s continued to play really well down there,” Zaidi said. “Isan, unfortunately, pulled an oblique muscle [Tuesday]and he was a potential consideration for the roster, especially with Brandon Belt going on the IL.
“So we’ll have to see if he can get back to the point where he can help us in September. But those are two bats that we are hoping can give us a little jolt if we get the opportunity to bring them up.”
RELATED: Farhan Zaidi details Giants’ offseason plan to address roster frustrations
Despite the struggles the Giants’ minor league system has endured this season, Zaidi told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami on the latest episode of “The TK Show” podcast that he “feels good” about the talent within the organization, which likely includes Díaz and Villar .
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