Giants lose another top prospect to injury

SAN FRANCISCO -- Less than two weeks after seeing Joey Bart suffer a fractured left hand on a hit-by-pitch, the Giants lost another top prospect to injury, as Heliot Ramos was placed on the seven-day injured list at Class A Advanced San Jose with left knee soreness.

Ramos tweaked his knee while taking a swing Wednesday. He was slated to undergo an MRI to assess the severity of the injury, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he had not yet received the results of the exam.

Ramos, who is ranked the Giants' No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was batting .270 with five home runs, 11 RBIs and 14 walks over 19 games with San Jose this season. The 19-year-old outfielder ranked second in the California League with a 1.009 OPS.

Bart, the club's No. 1 prospect, and Ramos opened the season on San Jose's roster, but they played together for only 10 games before Bart landed on the injured list. It'll likely be awhile before they're reunited on the field, as Bart is expected to miss four to six weeks as he waits for his hand to heal.

Bochy shuffles top of the order

With left-hander James Paxton starting for the Yankees in Friday night's series opener at Oracle Park, Bochy opted to make a change at the top of the Giants' lineup, slotting Kevin Pillar into the leadoff spot ahead of fellow right-handed hitter Tyler Austin and lefty Brandon Belt. Pillar has experience facing Paxton from his days in the American League East, while Austin has a history of success against left-handers.

Steven Duggar, who has been the club's primary leadoff hitter this season, batted ninth, but Bochy indicated he could return to the top of the order against Yankees right-hander Domingo German on Sunday.

The Giants entered Friday as the only team in the Majors to have not scored a run in the first inning this season. They are batting .089 (7-for-79) with three walks and 22 strikeouts in 25 first innings this year. Their streak of 25 games to start the season without scoring a first-inning run is the second-longest stretch in Major League history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Worth noting

Giants Minor League right-hander Norwith Gudino, who is on Class A Augusta's roster, received an 80-game suspension without pay Friday after testing positive for stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance. Gudino, 23, has a 3.09 career ERA across five Minor League seasons in the Giants' system, including a 0.96 ERA in four appearances for Augusta this year.