The Giants brought up Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, adding the 27-year-old infielder to the roster before their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. The move came as part of a broader shuffle that also put Joel Peguero on the 60-day injured list and cleared room by designating Logan Porter for assignment.
It is the latest turn in a season that has already seen Kennedy bounce between levels while chasing another foothold in the majors. He signed a minor league deal with San Francisco this offseason and had spent most of the year at third base in Sacramento, though he also saw time at first base, second base, shortstop and in the outfield. The Giants clearly liked enough of what they saw to bring him back up on a day when the roster needed immediate repair.
The call-up gives San Francisco another infield option at a time when it needs coverage. Kennedy has appeared in each of the last four major league seasons, but his previous work in the big leagues has not matched his minor league production. In 181 plate appearances, he hit.178/.271/.274. That is the kind of record that usually leaves a player fighting to stay on the margins, not getting another chance in late-season roster traffic.
His time in Sacramento helps explain why the Giants were willing to make the move anyway. Kennedy hit.321/.424/.543 with eight home runs there this year and struck out in only 12.4% of his trips to the plate. For a club juggling injuries and roster spots, that kind of production matters, even if it comes from a player who is still trying to turn Triple-A success into something lasting in San Francisco.
The roster move also reflects the scramble caused by Peguero’s hamstring injury on Sunday. The Giants needed space on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters, and Kennedy was not on the 40-man before the promotion. To make the numbers work, they also brought up right-handed reliever Wilkin Ramos from Sacramento, where the 25-year-old had a 2.00 ERA, a 3.99 FIP, 27 strikeouts, seven walks and a 61.4% ground-ball rate in 27 innings. Jesús Rodríguez, Dylan Smith and Porter were all optioned back, with Rodríguez going down after his pinch-hit home run off a position player the day before.
What the Giants plan to do with Kennedy next is still unclear. For now, the move says less about a fixed role than about a team using a productive minor league bat and a flexible glove to cover the cracks created by injuries and roster churn.
