The Giants wanted to reward Heliot Ramos for his impressive performance this spring by sparing him from their first round of cuts earlier this week. Still, the 21-year-old outfielder’s run in big league camp officially came to an end on Saturday, when he was included in the Giants’ second wave of cuts.

Ramos, who is ranked the Giants’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was among five players who were optioned or reassigned to Minor League camp, joining outfielder Steven Duggar and non-roster invitees Sam Long, Jason Krizan and Anthony Banda. The latest trimming left 42 players on the Giants’ spring roster, which will have to be pared down to 26 by Opening Day.

Saturday’s moves were largely procedural, as Minor League camp doesn’t officially open until April 1. Ramos will be eligible to appear in Cactus League games and will continue to work out at Scottsdale Stadium alongside many of the Giants’ other top prospects, most of whom were cut from camp on Monday.

That Ramos stuck around longer than the Giants’ other young prospects speaks to the excitement he generated after going 11-for-28 (.393) with three home runs, six RBIs and one stolen base over his first 13 exhibition games this spring.

Despite his healthy production, Ramos wasn’t viewed as a candidate for the Giants’ Opening Day roster, as he hasn’t played above Double-A Richmond. Still, his performance demonstrated that he’s on track to potentially develop into an outfield option for the Giants at some point in 2021.

Duggar, 27, is 6-for-22 (.273) with two home runs, eight walks and 10 strikeouts over nine Cactus League games. He’s long been a defensive marvel in center field, but the Giants have asked him to work on his consistency at the plate and be more aggressive with incorporating bunts and using his speed on the bases this spring.

“The sky is the limit,” manager Gabe Kapler said on Friday. “The talent is undeniable. This is more looking for it to be consistent and have it all come together at once.”

Long, a 25-year-old left-hander, is another player who opened eyes around camp this year. He joined the Giants on a Minor League deal over the offseason and emerged as a surprise standout after hitting 97 mph with his fastball and flashing a classic 12-to-6 curveball.

Long, who has given up four runs over 4 1/3 innings in three Cactus League appearances, is being stretched out this spring. Kapler said he looks “like a guy who has a chance to be a Major League starter at some point.”