Notes: Tallest player in MLB; Cueto's K

The pitcher who could soon tie the record for tallest player in Major League history had to settle for some smaller competition in 2020.

Sean Hjelle, the 6-foot-11 right-hander ranked as the Giants’ No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was surprisingly left off San Francisco’s alternate roster during the pandemic-shortened campaign. So he went to his wife’s hometown of Richmond, Va., where the stiffest competition available was a 16-and-under travel team.

“I threw to those guys just to get an actual hitter,” Hjelle said Thursday. “A different, live look.”

The 23-year-old Hjelle, who was taken in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, is getting better looks now that he’s back in big league camp. And though it’s possible he’ll begin the '21 season right back in Richmond, with the Giants’ Double-A affiliate, it’s also possible that he gets the call to the Majors in a season in which so many arms will be counted on to provide innings.

If that happens, Hjelle will tie former pitcher Jon Rauch for the all-time tallest title.

Of course, developing as a pitcher during a vacated Minor League season is itself a tall order. And Hjelle, who was in big league camp prior to last year’s shutdown, was understandably disappointed not to be included at the alternate site in '20.

But his access to the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ facility helped him make the most of a lost year.

“I consider myself one of the lucky ones,” he said. “I didn’t have to do any DIY projects at home in terms of building a net or finding a catch partner.”

Hjelle said he has come to understand the Giants’ perspective that he was not game-ready for the Majors last season, that he had mechanical issues to iron out. And the year away gave him ample time with his infant son, George, that he would not otherwise have had.

With that breather in the background, Hjelle aims to take a step forward this season and prove his readiness. He threw a scoreless inning against the Cubs on Wednesday, hitting 95 mph with his fastball.

“My goal is to show the team is better with me around,” he said. “I want to make a positive impact on this team at some point.”

Here’s Johnny
Johnny Cueto got revenge against -- and a laugh from -- Mike Trout in Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Angels in Tempe, Ariz.

Trout took a Cueto changeup deep in the first inning for his first homer of the spring. When Trout faced Cueto again in the third inning, Cueto waited an extra beat before going into his delivery and seemed to catch the Angels’ superstar off guard. Trout stepped out of the box and chuckled.

“To see [Cueto] get creative out there and kind of talk to Trout a little bit, it’s just great entertainment,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

Cueto had the last laugh, striking Trout out on a checked swing with a changeup low in the zone.

The Trout homer was the only damage against Cueto in his three innings of work. With Kevin Gausman’s spring debut delayed, there is a chance Cueto is again the Giants’ Opening Day starter, but Kapler has not confirmed who is in line to get that nod.

Belt update
After missing nearly 10 days at the beginning of camp because of what was only termed a “non-COVID illness,” Brandon Belt's condition is improving, Kapler said.

“Every day he’s becoming a little more energetic,” Kapler said. “He’s increasing his level of intensity in his baseball activity. Today he was smiling a bit more and showing that he’s feeling better.”

Kazmir’s comeback
Five and a half years after his last Major League appearance -- Sept. 23, 2016, for the Dodgers -- Scott Kazmir is expected to return to big league action on Friday.

Recently signed to a Minor League deal, the left-handed Kazmir will be available out of the bullpen to make his Giants debut against the Rockies (coincidentally, the team he faced in his last outing) at Scottsdale Stadium. Gausman will start the game.

Kazmir, 37, went 10-6 with a 4.56 ERA in 26 starts for the Dodgers in 2016 and missed the entire 2017 season with a hip injury. His attempt to come back with the Braves in 2018 fell flat, but with San Francisco, Kazmir has a chance to revive a career in which he’s won 108 games with a 4.01 ERA over 12 seasons.

With so many innings to cover in the jump from a 60-game schedule back to a full 162-game schedule, Kazmir could assert himself as a depth piece.

Up next
Gausman’s spring, to date, has been limited to the back fields, but he will make his Cactus League debut when he gets the 12:05 p.m. PT start Friday against the Rockies. Colorado will counter with right-hander Germán Márquez.