Curt Casali has inked a one-year Major League Baseball contract with the San Francisco Giants, addressing the team’s urgent need for catching depth due to injuries sidelining both their starter and primary backup. Casali, a right-handed batter, is no stranger to the Giants, having played for them in 2021 and part of 2022.
The 35-year-old’s tenure with the Giants was relatively brief before moving to the Chicago Cubs, who signed him to a minor-league contract on March 29 and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate, Iowa. This came shortly after his release from the Miami Marlins.
In San Francisco, Casali will not have to wait for an opportunity to play. He was promptly signed and placed in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Giants are currently missing their starting catcher, Patrick Bailey, who is on the 7-day concussion protocol list for the second time in ten days after a foul ball incident on May 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Additionally, backup catcher Tom Murphy sustained a left knee sprain in the subsequent game and has been moved from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to accommodate Casali’s addition to the roster.
In the short term, Casali will share catching duties with Blake Sabol until Murphy’s return. Casali, a 2011 10th-round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers, made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014. He has also played for the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. Over his MLB career, Casali has a batting average of .220, with 47 home runs and 154 RBIs in 502 games.
