The San Francisco Giants made a shocking move by trading for three-time AL All-Star just before Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the midst of the flurry of activity, the team also promoted veteran pitcher Joey Lucchesi to the active roster.
SF Giants sneak in roster move by adding veteran pitcher amid trade chaos
It’s unusual for a player to arrive at the ballpark and begin warming up in the bullpen without much warning, but that’s exactly what happened in this case. The trade was finalized just moments before the Giants’ game began, forcing the team to quickly adjust the roster.
Joey Lucchesi had been pitching out of the bullpen for Triple-A Sacramento, which was playing on the road in Tacoma—not exactly a short trip. There were already signs that a roster move might be coming.
The lefty made it to Dodger Stadium just in time. Sean Hjelle, not Kyle Harrison, got the start. Harrison, if you haven’t heard, was one of the four players sent to Boston in the deal to land Rafael Devers.
Like Lucchesi, Hjelle had been working in relief for Sacramento, so expectations were limited for how deep he could go against the powerful Dodgers lineup. The 6-foot-11 right-hander allowed two runs over 3.2 innings before handing things off to the bullpen. Lucchesi followed and gave up two earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
Now in his sixth major league season, Lucchesi has built a solid career as a starter, with a 4.10 ERA. However, he’s shifted more into a bullpen role lately. During his time with the River Cats, he posted a 3.23 ERA with 31 strikeouts and eight walks over 30.2 innings.
Adding Lucchesi gives the Giants another left-handed option alongside Erik Miller. Whether he sticks with the big league club is unclear, but his appearance on Sunday was nearly a surprise—few even realized he had been added to the roster.
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