Sandoval shares family's COVID-19 battle

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants were in Houston last month for a series against the Astros when Pablo Sandoval received the frightening news.

His wife, Yulimar, was taken to the emergency room after contracting COVID-19. Four other family members, including his two kids, also tested positive and developed symptoms. The situation weighed heavily on Sandoval’s mind, prompting manager Gabe Kapler to give the 34-year-old veteran a break from the field to allow him to stay by the phone and closely monitor his wife’s condition.

“My wife, she was really sick,” Sandoval said Monday during a Zoom call with reporters. “She was taken to the emergency room a couple of times. The rest of the family was symptomatic. It’s one of those things when you’ve got something outside the baseball field, especially when the season stopped because of that, you worry about it a little bit more. Especially when my two kids are high-risk, so I was worried about it a little bit more.”

Sandoval said his afflicted family members have made a full recovery and are now symptom-free. He never left the team, but he admitted that it was difficult to keep his focus on baseball during his family’s health scare.

“When you've got a season like this, you try not to think about it, but at the end of the day, it's part of your family, the people that support you,” Sandoval said. “You love them. You have to care about it. You have to have a little peace on your mind. I can be tough and separate things, but at this moment, I couldn’t separate because it’s a matter of my two kids and my wife. Those are things that you're going to have on your mind every day.”

Sandoval hadn’t spoken with reporters since Spring Training and said the scrutiny he drew over his weight during Summer Camp played into his decision to turn down multiple interview requests over the last two months.

“I know the player that I am,” Sandoval said. “I know the guy that I am. That doesn’t matter. I didn't talk to you guys for a long time because of that. I didn’t want to put negative things on my mind right now.”

The switch-hitting infielder made his first start of the season at third base on Monday in place of Evan Longoria, who was scratched from the Giants’ original lineup with right glute soreness. Kapler said the move was precautionary and noted that Sandoval had been working hard to keep himself ready to fill in at third when necessary.

Sandoval, who re-signed with the Giants on a Minor League deal after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September, emerged as a valuable role player in recent years, but he entered Monday batting only .208 with a .522 OPS over 30 games. The Giants released Sandoval’s close friend Hunter Pence after he endured a slow start to the year, but Kapler has repeatedly said he still views Sandoval as a dangerous bat off the bench, particularly against right-handed pitchers.

“It's such a short season,” Sandoval said. “You try to do everything you can to put numbers out there. Sometimes you don't get the results that you want, but at the end of the day, you have to continue working and getting ready for all the situations they’re going to put me out there. I just prepare myself every day, come here every day to work hard. I keep doing my work in the cage and in batting practice to maintain my swing.”

Smyly on the verge of returning

Kapler said left-hander Drew Smyly (left index finger sprain) could be ready to come off the injured list on Wednesday or Thursday.

It’s unclear whether Smyly will slide back into the rotation or pitch out of the bullpen, though Kapler has said both possibilities are on the table. The Giants have not announced their rotation plans for the rest of the week, but Tyler Anderson and Trevor Cahill are currently lined up to start on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Cahill has been dealing with a left hip issue and Anderson has struggled recently, posting a 6.51 ERA over his last five starts, but Kapler said he believes Anderson’s woes partly stemmed from the fact that he faced the D-backs in three consecutive starts.

“I actually think Tyler’s struggles his last time out had nothing to do with his stuff, anything to do with his ability to repeat his delivery,” Kapler said. “I think his struggles were a direct result of him trying to change his game plan.”