The SF Giants called up Nate Furman on Saturday and put Jesús Rodríguez on the injured list, clearing the way for Furman’s major league debut before their game against the San Diego Padres. Furman spent this year with the Sacramento River Cats after working his way back from the injury he had when the Giants acquired him in 2024.
The move gives the Giants a new option in the middle of the field at a moment when they needed one, even if the club has not said how much Furman will play right away. He was acquired in the 2024 deal that sent Alex Cobb to the Cleveland Guardians, with Jacob Bresnahan also part of that trade, and his path to the majors has been longer than the usual call-up because he was sidelined when the Giants got him.
Furman’s year at Sacramento offered the clearest sign that he was ready for a look. In 434 plate appearances, he hit.284/.370/.405 with a 107 wRC+, drove in 42 runs, scored 57, and added seven home runs. He also showed a patient approach with an 11.1 percent walk rate, a 12.4 percent strikeout rate and a.122 ISO, while stealing 18 bases in 23 chances.
That production helps explain why this promotion landed now. Furman did not make his debut with the Giants organization until the middle of last season, then finished with a brief stop in Double-A before moving to Sacramento this year. The organization has seen enough over that stretch to give him his first chance in the majors, and the timing lines up with a roster opening created by Rodríguez’s elbow issue.
The unresolved part is the one that will matter most once the game starts. Furman could get a look at second base, but his exact role is still unwritten, and Rodríguez’s absence could last longer than a single night because right elbow neuritis is the kind of injury that can keep a player out for more than a short break. For now, the Giants have made their choice: Furman is up, Rodríguez is out, and Saturday is the first test of whether the promotion fits the moment.
