SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Two years ago, Tyler Beede appeared to be on the verge of a long-awaited breakthrough with the Giants. 

Beede, the club’s 2014 first-round Draft pick, was viewed as the frontrunner to win the fifth starter spot, and he flashed his tantalizing upside by hitting 98 mph with his fastball during Cactus League play. But he encountered a major setback when he began to experience tightness in his right elbow, which ultimately resulted in season-ending Tommy John surgery in March 2020. 

After a year of painstaking rehab, Beede returned to the mound last season, but he struggled to regain his command and posted a 6.66 ERA with 45 walks over 48 2/3 innings across 16 starts at Triple-A Sacramento. He made only one appearance in the Majors, giving up three runs over one inning against the Nationals on July 10.

Now, Beede is in the midst of his biggest spring yet. The 28-year-old right-hander is out of Minor League options and aiming to prove that he can still be a viable starting option for the Giants, who have been busy accumulating pitching depth this offseason.

Beede’s push for a roster spot began Saturday afternoon, when he allowed two runs on five hits over two innings in his Cactus League debut during an 8-5 win against the Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Beede surrendered a leadoff home run to Garrett Hampson and an RBI single to Carlos Pérez in the first inning, but he posted a scoreless second with the help of center fielder Steven Duggar, who made a strong one-hop throw to nab a runner at third base and keep Colorado from adding on.

“I’m really happy with it,” Beede said. “I wanted to go out there and attack the zone with all three of my pitches. Obviously, the result is the result. But I’m trying to force contact. I’m trying to attack the zone with all three pitches. I was happy with the ability for me to work in difficult situations with guys on base.”

The Giants appear to have a set starting rotation in Logan Webb, Carlos Rodón, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood and Alex Cobb, but Beede should have a shot at making the team as a bulk-innings guy, especially since clubs are likely to have expanded rosters to start the season. Beede will be competing with the likes of Jakob Junis, Sammy Long, Kervin Castro and Sean Hjelle, each of whom have options remaining.

Beede felt he was overcomplicating things as he was coming off his surgery last year, so he’s tried to simplify his approach and streamline his repertoire, which features a mid-90s fastball, changeup and curveball.

“We have seen Tyler look good oftentimes in practice,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’ve seen him look good in bullpen sessions. We’ve also seen him look really good in game action in 2020. The mood that we’re striking with Tyler is: 'One step at a time, simplified approach. Lots of strikes, not a lot of mechanical cues, not a lot of pitch mix changes. Just fewer things to think about. Go out and do it; be athletic, be yourself.'”

Beede recognizes that he’s running out of time to establish himself as a serviceable member of the Giants’ pitching staff, but he’s simply grateful to be healthy and have a chance to compete again.

“It’s been a long two years,” Beede said. “They’ve been very, very difficult. I came in two years ago, and I felt like I was throwing the best I’ve ever been throwing. Then I had a setback, and to go through the surgery was something that a lot of people have to do, but it’s your own individual process, so I learned a lot about myself through it. It’s not easy, but you just continue to keep fighting just like everybody does as they go through surgery. You keep trying to improve and get back healthy. I’m thankful that I finally feel back to being 100 percent.”