Stripling '100% committed' to returning to Giants in 2024

This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Veteran right-hander Ross Stripling has been sidelined since landing on the injured list with a mid-back strain on Aug. 19, but he said he feels healthy and ready to go after throwing 55 pitches over four innings in a simulated game at Oracle Park on Monday.

Stripling was eligible to return on Sept. 1 and joined the Giants during their seven-game road trip to San Diego and Chicago, but he’s still waiting to be activated and have a chance to contribute to the club’s playoff push down the stretch.

Manager Gabe Kapler said the club will “put a plan together accordingly” with Stripling, who appears to be the odd man out now that the Giants seemingly have five starters -- Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn and Sean Manaea -- in their rotation.

Despite some frustration with the lack of clarity on his role moving forward, Stripling said he intends to remain a Giant beyond this season and not exercise the opt-out clause in the two-year, $25 million deal he signed over the winter.

“In my head, it seems obvious that I haven’t pitched well enough to opt out,” said Stripling, who has a 5.29 ERA over 19 appearances (11 starts) this year. “I think if I could have gotten healthy and had a good September, it might have been in the realm. But really in my head now, I’m a 2024 Giant and ready to work with these guys over the offseason to figure some stuff out and get better. I’ll show up to Spring Training ready to rock and be a Giant.

“This is 100 percent where I am. I haven’t talked to my agent or anything like that. I don’t imagine that he would tell me anything different, but I’m 100 percent committed to being a Giant next year and do better than I have this year.”

Stripling recorded a 3.01 ERA over 32 outings (24 starts) with the Blue Jays last year and was part of the Giants’ 2023 Opening Day rotation, but he shifted to more of a swingman role after struggling to find his footing early in the season. In addition to the back issue that flared up twice this year, Stripling proved to be susceptible to the long ball, surrendering 20 home runs over 78 1/3 innings.

“I guess in my head, it was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to show up and I’m going to do great, I’m going to make 30 starts and have a great year for the Giants,’” Stripling said. “I just didn’t come out of Spring Training very sharp, and I had to kind of work and earn innings from there. Here we are in September still trying to kind of earn innings.”

The Giants have two other players -- Manaea and Michael Conforto -- who will also have the ability to opt out this offseason. Manaea signed the same contract as Stripling and also endured a rough start to the year, but he’s turned it around in recent months and got a chance to return to the rotation for the first time since May 10 on Tuesday.

After giving up three runs (one earned) over 5 2/3 innings against the Guardians, Manaea lowered his ERA to 4.80 over 34 appearances this year. Conforto is on the IL with a left hamstring strain, but he’s likely to return during the Giants’ series at Coors Field this week and has hit .251/.343/.405 with 15 home runs over 111 games this year.