Posey returns to action with no hip issues

Buster Posey returned to the lineup on Sunday against the Dodgers for the first time since March 13 after missing several games with right hip tightness, going hitless in two at-bats and catching three innings.

"It felt good today,” Posey said after exiting the Giants' eventual 10-4 victory. “It was nice to go through those three innings, a couple at-bats and not have any issues.”

Manager Gabe Kapler said that there is no strict plan regarding Posey’s workload, noting that there are no concerns about him being physically ready for Opening Day.

“The only thing that matters as we’re evaluating him is how healthy he is, and he looks healthy,” Kapler said. “That’s a really good signal for the day.”

Posey underwent surgery on the same hip in August 2018 to repair a torn labrum and address a hip impingement. With the season still a week away, Posey noted that the Giants opted to take the cautious approach.

“Right now we are afforded a little bit of wiggle room, I guess, with how much stress I'm putting on it,” Posey said. “I’m trying to make some gains each day, just keeping things as loose as possible."

Posey, 33, said he doesn’t have a target number of games he wants to appear in this season, but wants to play as many as possible.

While Posey’s performance at the plate has slipped in recent seasons, he is projected to be one of the league’s best defensive backstops. In 2019, Posey had 14 defensive runs saved, tied for the third-most among catchers.

“He's everything that is advertised, that's for sure,” said Scott Kazmir. “His presence out there, the conviction with everything he does behind the plate. You feel really comfortable out there."

Even with Posey hitless, the Giants flexed their collective muscles with the bats, bashing three home runs and putting 10 runs on the board. Posey was complimentary of his team’s offense, one that he noted would be difficult to gameplan against as a catcher.

“Guys are laying off tough pitches, working some deep counts, getting on base,” Posey said. “And the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark is there as well. From my vantage point as a catcher, those are tough lineups to face when guys lay off the tough pitches and work counts and still have the ability to drive the ball. It’s usually a recipe of some good offense.”

Preparing for the hot corner

With Evan Longoria dealing with plantar fasciitis, Wilmer Flores has spent most of his time defensively at third base. Of Flores’s 47 innings in the field this spring, 20 innings have come at the hot corner, including five against the Dodgers on Sunday.

Flores has 1,116 2/3 career innings at third under his belt, but hasn’t played it all that often in recent years. Since 2018, Flores has only played 97 innings at third, and in 2019, he didn't play the position at all.

Still, Flores is preparing for the possibility of playing third base if Longoria’s injury lingers. Flores noted that he takes an equal amount of grounders at first, second and third base, and that being comfortable with third comes with more reps.

“It’s just about being ready,” Flores said. "You never know what’s going to happen. If I ever go out there during the season, I’m ready for it.”

Worth noting

• Longoria has yet to play defense as he deals with the aforementioned plantar fasciitis injury, but there are no concerns with his bat. The third baseman smacked a no-doubt home run, his fourth of the spring.

“I told him, as well as he’s hitting as a DH, he’s got at least another five years in the American League when his contract’s up,” Posey said.

• The Giants were once again aggressive on the bases, stealing three bags against the Dodgers. Mauricio Dubón had a pair, upping his total on the spring to four, while Austin Slater swiped his first of the spring.

“The goal here is not to be the most aggressive team in baseball stealing bases,” Kapler said. “The goal is to practice it enough where we feel confident when the situation arises and we need to take advantage of a moment and we’re prepared to do so. And the only way to do so is to push the boundaries in Spring Training and get everybody practicing running.”

• Nick Tropeano, a non-roster invitee, continued to make his case for an Opening Day roster spot, striking out five batters in two innings. In eight innings, Tropeano owns a 1.13 ERA with 11 strikeouts. Zack Littell and James Sherfy impressed as well, each striking out the side in their one inning of work.

• Kapler said San Francisco’s Opening Day starter will be announced sometime in the next few days. “There’s no hiding the ball here. It’s more wanting to have all the right conversations, check all the boxes and get all the way to the finish line.”

• Heliot Ramos, the team’s No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was among the five players who were optioned to Minor League camp on Saturday. Ramos impressed enough in the early days of spring to survive the first round of cuts. On Sunday, Kapler discussed what he’d like to see with Ramos going forward.

“There’s no denying his talent and his physical tools,” Kapler said. “A lot of those physical tools have been on display in this camp. But there are some minor tweaks that we want to see happen before he reaches the Major League level for us, because when he gets there, we’d like to see him hit the ground running and stay in the big leagues for us for a really long time.”

Up next

Right-hander Kevin Gausman will make his third Cactus League start as the Giants take on the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on Monday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PT.