Sabol is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.
He'll retreat to the bench as the Giants stock their lineup with eight right-handed options to counter Pirates southpaw Rich Hill. Sabol has been serving as the Giants' primary designated hitter of late, but he'll cede the role to David Villar in the series opener.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Lifts three-run blast
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Sabol went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Brewers.
Sabol entered Sunday 0-for-17 over his last four games, with a 1:7 BB:K in that span. It took him until the seventh inning to snap the drought, with his homer being his first since April 29. While the bat has cooled off a bit since Patrick Bailey took over the primary catching duties, Sabol is still getting in the lineup regularly at designated hitter and occasionally in left field. Sabol is slashing .244/.313/.437 with six homers, two stolen bases, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored through 131 plate appearances.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Playing regularly
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Sabol will start at catcher and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Sabol will step in behind the dish in place of Patrick Bailey, who is resting for the series finale after catching in each of the past three contests. Even though Bailey looks poised to remain the Giants' primary backstop while Joey Bart (groin) is on the shelf, Sabol's ability to fill in at designated hitter or in the corner outfield has allowed him to retain a regular role. The rookie will draw a seventh consecutive start Sunday despite going 2-for-21 with seven strikeouts over the previous six contests.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Knocks three hits
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Sabol went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 7-3 loss to the Brewers.
Sabol appears to be settling in a bit, as he's hit safely in six of his last seven games with three multi-hit efforts in that span. The 25-year-old's playing time has dropped since Joey Bart returned from a groin injury, and Sabol can't be expected to start more than twice a week behind the dish. He's also spent less time in the outfield with Mitch Haniger taking over a starting role in left field. Sabol is slashing .264/.312/.500 with five home runs, two stolen bases, 11 RBI, 10 runs scored and two doubles through 77 plate appearances.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Heads to bench as Bart returns
Rotowire
Sabol is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.
Sabol hasn't picked up a start in the outfield since April 15, but he's been able to maintain a regular spot in the lineup against right-handed pitching while Joey Bart has missed time of late with a groin injury. However, with Bart back in action Sunday, Sabol's four-game streak of starts behind the dish will come to an end.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Adds steal in win
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Sabol went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Cardinals.
Sabol hit a two-out single in the fourth inning, stole second and scored on an Austin Slater single to tie the game at 2-2. It's been a good stretch of late for Sabol, who has gone 6-for-14 (.429) with two home runs, four RBI, a steal and four runs scored over his last five games. His recent run of playing time behind the dish will likely end when Joey Bart (groin) returns to the lineup.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Goes yard Thursday
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Sabol went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 9-4 loss to the Mets.
Sabol got the Giants on the board with his fifth-inning solo shot. Both of his homers have come in his last three games. The 25-year-old is playing primarily against right-handed pitchers, but his .190/.244/.405 slash line through 45 plate appearances isn't all that inspiring. He's added three homers, five RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Sitting against lefty
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Sabol is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The lefty-hitting Sabol will sit for the second time in the series, with both of his absences coming when Miami has brought left-handers Jesus Luzardo and Trevor Rogers to the hill. Joey Bart will handle catching duties Wednesday while Heliot Ramos covers left field in the series finale.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Sitting out versus lefty again
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Sabol is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
For the fifth time in seven games, the lefty-hitting Sabol will take a seat while the Giants face off against another southpaw (Jesus Luzardo). The Giants' recent lefty-heavy slate has made it difficult to get a handle on whether Sabol will continue to maintain a strong-side platoon role at either catcher or left field, or if he'll start to lose out on opportunities against right-handed pitching after slashing .194/.256/.361 through the first 12 games of his MLB career.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Notches steal in win
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Sabol went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Dodgers.
The steal was Sabol's first at the big-league level. He stole a combined 10 bases between the Double-A and Triple-A circuits last season, so there's at least modest speed in his profile. The 25-year-old catcher/outfielder is slashing .194/.265/.290 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored through 34 plate appearances. With prospect Heliot Ramos in the majors, Sabol will likely serve as a backup to Joey Bart rather than a starter in left field.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Getting Sunday off
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Sabol is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
The lefty-hitting Sabol will check out of the lineup for the first time this season while southpaw Kris Bubic takes the bump for Kansas City. Sabol, who is likely to see most of his time at catcher rather than left field in the short term while both Joey Bart (back) and Roberto Perez (shoulder) are on the injured list, will be replaced behind the dish by Austin Wynns in the series finale.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Blasts first career homer
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Sabol went 3-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs scored Thursday against the White Sox.
Sabol has been a regular in the lineup to begin the season thanks to his ability to both catch and play in left field. He drew the start behind the dish Thursday and took Lance Lynn deep in the second inning to tally his first career homer. Though Sabol had only one hit coming into the contest, he hasn't looked overmatched at the plate as he's maintained a reasonable 23.8 percent strikeout rate through 21 plate appearances, and he should continue to see regular playing time with Joey Bart (back), Mitch Haniger (oblique/back) and Austin Slater (hamstring) on the shelf.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: In lineup again Thursday
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Sabol is starting at catcher Thursday against the White Sox.
Sabol has been part of the Giants' starting lineup for every game so far this season, whether in left field or behind the dish. But the Rule 5 Draft pick hasn't quite taken advantage of the opportunity, going 1-for-12 with one walk and four strikeouts through five games. He's batting ninth Thursday in Chicago.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Starting in left field in opener
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Sabol will start in left field and bat eighth in Thursday's season opener versus the Yankees, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
A Rule 5 selection over the winter, Sabol looks like he may get the opportunity to handle a near-everyday role in the corner outfield to begin the season while Mitch Haniger (oblique) is on the shelf. The 24-year-old, who also has experience at catcher, earned his spot on the Opening Day roster after slashing .348/.475/.630 with three home runs and two steals in 20 Cactus League games.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Makes roster, could start opener
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Sabol announced Sunday via a story posted on his personal Instagram account that he has clinched a spot on the Giants' Opening Day roster.
Sabol joined San Francisco as a Rule 5 selection over the winter and entered spring training expected to compete primarily for a backup catcher role behind Joey Bart. While Sabol will offer another depth option at the position behind Bart and veteran Roberto Perez, the 25-year-old is expected to see most of his action as a rookie in the corner outfield. With injuries having tested the Giants' outfield in spring training, Steven Rissotto of SFBay.ca notes that Sabol could draw the start in left field in Thursday's season opener at Yankee Stadium. As a left-handed hitter, Sabol may get the opportunity to carve out steady playing time until the Giants are back to full strength, making him an interesting speculative pickup late in NL-only drafts. He's coming off a huge showing in spring training in which he slashed .349/.474/.651 with three home runs, two stolen bases and an 11:13 BB:K in 19 Cactus League contests.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Could see time in outfield
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Sabol could get a look in the outfield after Mitch Haniger (oblique) sustained an injury, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Sabol's bat is turning heads in Giants camp -- he has three home runs, three doubles, seven RBI and eight runs scored through eight Cactus League games. He's hitting .529, and he's now being considered for the outfield after initially being labeled a catcher at the start of the spring. Whether the Giants want to carry three catchers remains to be seen, as Joey Bart, Roberto Perez and Austin Wynns all have more major-league experience behind the dish than Sabol, but if the 25-year-old can add some versatility to his profile, he may stick with San Francisco.
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Giants' Blake Sabol: Will be used as catcher
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Sabol is being viewed as a catcher in Giants' camp, manager Gabe Kapler told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday.
Sabol played all over the diamond in college and has split time pretty evenly between catcher and the outfield in the minors, but the Giants plan to use him exclusively behind the plate, at least for now. The 25-year-old was taken by the Reds in the Rule 5 Draft this winter before being flipped to the Giants. He must be carried on the Giants' roster or be offered back to the Pirates.
