Giants reinstate Tyler Mahle, option Tristan Beck to Sacramento

Tyler Mahle came off the 15-day injured list Thursday, and the Giants made the move after his rehab stop in Sacramento showed he could get through a game again, even if the command was still messy. To open a spot, San Francisco optioned Tristan Beck back to Triple-A Sacramento, turning the River Cats into the final checkpoint for a return that now reshapes the big-league staff.

Mahle had been sidelined by a left hamstring strain, retroactive to May 27, after his last major-league start on May 26. MLB.com had projected him to rejoin the rotation on June 24, and his rehab assignment with Sacramento arrived as the bridge between the injured list and Oracle Park. In that outing, Mahle allowed one earned run on one hit over three innings, but he also walked five and struck out three, a line that showed both the rust and the workload the Giants wanted to see before bringing him back.

The return squeezed Beck off the roster after a short stay back in San Francisco. Beck had been recalled from Sacramento on June 14 to cover for injured reliever Keaton Winn, then optioned back to the River Cats on June 24. He had already been sent to Sacramento on June 10 and had spent this season bouncing between relief work and spot starts for the Giants, a role that left him vulnerable once Mahle was ready.

Beck’s numbers made the decision easier. Before the option, one outlet listed him with a 6.75 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 10 2/3 major-league innings, production that did not create much resistance when the Giants needed a roster move for Mahle. The club’s recent pitching churn included Winn landing on the 15-day IL with a right elbow strain and Matt Gage coming off the injured list, a reminder that San Francisco’s staff has been rebuilt in pieces while Mahle worked back through Sacramento.