The San Francisco Giants have signed catcher Donny Sands to a minor league contract. Sands, 28, made his debut for the Giants’ Triple-A team, the Sacramento River Cats, on Sunday, although he struggled, going 0-5 with three strikeouts.
This was Sands’ first affiliated game of the 2024 season, following his release from the Detroit Tigers at the end of March. He had a brief stint in Mexico with the Toros de Tijuana, where he played 16 games and hit .245/.339/.490 with four home runs, which helped him secure another opportunity at Triple-A.
Last year, Sands primarily played for the Tigers’ Triple-A team in Toledo. He was acquired during the 2022-23 offseason along with Matt Vierling and Nick Maton in a trade that sent Gregory Soto to the Philadelphia Phillies. During his time with the Mud Hens, Sands posted a .225/.318/.353 batting line over 371 plate appearances and did not appear in an MLB game for Detroit. He was removed from the Tigers’ 40-man roster in January and released after a 1-8 performance in Spring Training. Sands has a brief major league history, having played just three games with the Phillies in 2022.
For the Giants, Sands provides additional depth at catcher amid injuries to Patrick Bailey, who is on the concussion injured list, and Tom Murphy, who will be out until at least July due to a sprained left knee. Recently, the Giants signed Curt Casali to a major league contract, and he, along with Blake Sabol, is handling the catching duties until Bailey returns. Jakson Reetz, also on the 40-man roster, is currently assigned to Sacramento. Sands will now join Reetz at Triple-A, competing for a spot as the Giants’ third catcher.
