Casey Schmitt was not in the Giants’ starting lineup on Wednesday against the Dodgers, a game-day move that sent Bryce Eldridge into the designated hitter spot against right-hander Shohei Ohtani. The switch came as San Francisco looked to reset its batting order for one of the most watched matchups on the schedule.
Schmitt had gone 9-for-37 since May 1, a 10-game stretch that left him batting.243 with two steals, two home runs, four RBI and five runs scored. That production gave the Giants a recent sample to weigh, but not enough to keep him locked into the lineup on a night when they chose Eldridge as the DH.
The decision matters because it was made in the middle of a game against the Dodgers, not after a long pause or an injury break. Lineup choices in that setting usually reflect what a club thinks it needs right now, and Wednesday’s alignment made clear that the Giants were willing to turn to a different bat for this matchup.
What comes next is straightforward: Schmitt will be judged by whether he pushes back into the lineup in the games ahead, while the Giants continue sorting out how best to deploy their hitters around Ohtani and the Dodgers. For now, Wednesday was the day Schmitt watched from outside the starting nine.
