Sean

Hjelle

Hjelle was away from the team while dealing with an issue more important than baseball for a few days. He had a 3.88 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 51 innings for the Giants this year. Hjelle will continue to pitch in long relief out of the bullpen for San Francisco.

Hjelle will be away from the team while dealing with an issue more important than baseball. Randy Rodriguez will take his place on the active roster.

Hjelle rejoins San Francisco’s pitching staff after missing the opening three weeks of the season due to a right elbow strain. The towering 26-year-old righty wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment earlier this week and returns ahead of Saturday’s showdown against the Diamondbacks. He figures to pitch in long relief out of San Francisco’s bullpen for now.

The 26-year-old was placed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow injury prior to the start of the regular season. He’ll continue to ramp up to get back with the Giants but could see some more action in the minors before he’s called up.

Hjelle is back throwing and could be ready to pitch in games within the next couple of weeks. He might be optioned to Triple-A for a spell once he’s ready to return.

Hjelle is still likely a month or so away from being fully healthy and an option the Giants can rely on in the bullpen. The 26-year-old was shut down earlier during Spring Training due to a right elbow strain and it will take some time for him to get back to full strength.

Hjelle was shut down earlier this spring with a right elbow strain and will likely require at least six weeks to build up his arm strength and stamina before returning to San Francisco’s pitching mix. His role remains to be seen, but he has experience as both a starter and reliever at the highest level.

It’s certainly an interesting development as Black remains in contention for the final spot in San Francisco’s Opening Day mix replacing injured starters Alex Cobb (hip), Tristan Beck (arm) and Sean Hjelle (elbow). The 24-year-old righty struck out 30 percent of the batters he faced across 123 2/3 innings (29 starts) last year between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. He’s too risky to trust as a fantasy option right out of the gate, but he’s certainly worth monitoring closely in deeper mixed leagues.

The pitching injuries to continue to mount for the Giants this spring. Hjelle was thought to have an opportunity after it was announced Tristan Beck was having arm surgery, but now the 26-year-old will be sidelined. With a few weeks until Opening Day, the Giants currently have Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn as their only healthy projected starters heading into the season.

There won’t be a clear timetable for Beck’s potential return until after the procedure, but he’s certainly facing an extended absence. The 27-year-old righty was the favorite to open the season as San Francisco’s fifth starter, but that won’t happen now. His departure from the rotation picture creates a short-term opportunity for Sean Hjelle, who is converting to a starting role this spring.