Giants Bullpen Thin Tonight: Only Kerr, Suter, and Iglesias Available
San Francisco's relief options are limited to three arms tonight, per Mark Bowman, with Holmes held back for tomorrow's start.
The Giants are working with a short bullpen tonight, per Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman): Ray Kerr, Brent Suter, and Raisel Iglesias are the available relievers. Kerr warmed up twice the previous night without actually pitching, so he's in the mix — just with some extra mileage on the legs.
Grant Holmes is scheduled to start tomorrow, which effectively takes him off the table for tonight. When Bowman asked the manager whether Holmes might be available out of the pen if things got desperate, the response amounted to: he's glad Sale is starting tonight. Make of that what you will.
Why it matters
A three-arm bullpen is a tight margin, and the Giants' pitching situation has been under strain for a while now. Adrian Houser is on the IL with a right forearm strain, Carson Whisenhunt is reportedly facing Tommy John surgery, and Jesus Rodriguez recently suffered a setback with elbow neuritis that sent him to a specialist in Dallas. The depth that isn't available tonight isn't just resting — a meaningful portion of it is genuinely unavailable.
What to watch
Sale's length tonight matters more than usual. The fewer innings the bullpen needs to cover, the less the three-arm constraint becomes a real operational problem. Holmes's availability for tomorrow's start remains as scheduled, per the report.
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