Donovan

Walton

Adding some infield depth. Walton, 30, finished last season in the majors with the Giants, going 3-for-22 with a homer. He previously hit .306/.380/.441 in 99 games for Triple-A Sacramento.

The 30-year-old infielder passed through waivers unclaimed and will remain with the Giants on the minor league side for the time being. Walton appeared in just nine games with the Giants during the 2024 season, slashing .136/.240/.273 with one homer, two RBI and a 7/2 K/BB ratio over 25 plate appearances.

Fitzgerald will end up missing the entire series against the Padres while dealing with tightness in his lower back. The 27-year-old will get at least one more day of recovery with Donovan Walton starting at second base and Brett Wisley handling shortstop.

Walton is back in the majors for the first time since 2022. The 30-year-old utilityman was hitting .308/.380/.441 in 387 plate appearances for Sacramento. He’ll serve as an infield backup while Tyler Fitzgerald is sidelined.

Meckler had an outside chance at making the club’s 27-man Opening Day roster, but he still showed promise during his time at spring camp. In his 13 games, the 23-year-old slashed .423/.483/.577 with two doubles, one triple and nine RBI. He’ll continue to develop at the Triple-A level where he posted a .965 OPS across 24 games last season. Whisenhunt is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and figures to make an impact for fantasy managers down the road.

Walton will presumably receive an invite to spring training in the deal. The 29-year-old infielder remains at the epicenter of one of the most lopsided deals in recent memory when he was shipped to the Giants back in 2022 in exchange for righty Prelander Berroa, who has since blossomed into a strong pitching prospect for the Mariners.

Walton, who is likely to be sidelined until May as he continues his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, is the most prominent of the Giants’ first round of cuts from spring training. Newcomb and Ross figure to be the most likely to contribute at some point for the Giants.

Walton was acquired by the Giants last May for highly-touted pitching prospect Prelander Berroa and hit a paltry .179/.225/.310 in his 180 major league plate appearances. He was invited to spring as a non-roster invite but won’t see time in the field until May.

Walton offers plenty of defensive versatility and got into 25 games last year between the Giants and Mariners. He doesn’t offer much offensive upside, however. The 28-year-old infielder was non-tendered by San Francisco last month, but is back in the fold as organizational position player depth heading into the 2023 season.

Walton is a pedestrian .179/.225/.310 hitter in 180 major league plate appearances. He’s versatile and it helps that he hits left-handed, but he’s still going to have a tough time landing a bench job.