What’s next for Trevor McDonald after sending message in dominant Giants start?

SAN FRANCISCO — Trevor McDonald flew from Salt Lake City to Philadelphia last week, watched two horrible losses, and then flew right back. He was the 27th man for a doubleheader in Philadelphia, but he didn’t pitch, as the Giants elected to stick with Adrian Houser even though that would lead to the need for a spot start on Monday. It was a long couple of days, but McDonald bounced back quickly. When he landed back in Salt Lake, he did what you might expect from a 25-year-old. “I slept for about 14 hours,” he explained Monday night.That marathon session got him back to form, and for McDonald, that usually means just one thing when he’s in the big leagues. He has made cameos in each of the past three seasons, and he tends to dominate. The latest start was seven strong against the San Diego Padres, leading the Giants to a 3-2 win that snapped a six-game skid. It also led to some fascinating questions.The theme of the day Monday was meritocracy. Casey Schmitt is part of an infield that includes three of the biggest contracts in franchise history, but he’s the one who has a firm grip on a job right now because of how scorching hot he is at the plate. Matt Chapman got the night off as the Giants returned home.Jesús Rodríguez started behind the plate, and for now at least, the Giants will go day-to-day with that position. There are no guarantees for slumping starter Patrick Bailey, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. In the bullpen, Keaton Winn and Caleb Kilian got the final two innings, not Ryan Walker, the incumbent closer coming into the year. Kilian gave up a homer but also picked up his first save.What does all of that mean, then, for McDonald? You can’t watch the way he pitched Monday, the way he pitched all spring, and the way he pitched when he finally got the call late last season, and not come away thinking he’s one of the best 13 pitchers in the organization. And yet, there were no guarantees after he allowed just two hits, one run and struck out eight. “I think it’s kind of ongoing conversations, to be honest with you,” manager Tony Vitello said of McDonald’s future role. “Regardless of what the immediate future holds, I think the distant future or the long-term is that obviously he’s going to get the ball in his hand again in a vital situation.”As Vitello spoke to reporters, right-hander Joel Peguero celebrated with the rest of the team in the clubhouse. The hard-throwing reliever has reached the end of his rehab from a left hamstring strain in Triple-A, and it certainly seemed like the Giants were poised to add him to their bullpen and option McDonald.Change comes quickly to a pitching staff, though, and Vitello noted that after the win, which included another Casey Schmitt homer and two RBI from Rafael Devers. Earlier in the day, the Giants put Erik Miller on the IL with a lower back strain, and it’s possible someone else is banged up and will be the one who gets replaced by Peguero, who also could simply be optioned. Regardless, McDonald certainly has shown that he’s the next man up. He has allowed just two earned runs in three career starts, and he continues to show the swagger and poise of a 10-year vet.“T-Mac’s competitiveness is something that you want to bet on,” Vitello said. “A better way to say it in coaching terms for me is that you can rest easy at night if that game doesn’t go well, just because of the way he competes.“I think he sent a message that hopefully rang true for all of his buddies on the pitching staff. Attacking is the way to go. When we’ve had success is when we’ve attacked this year as a pitching staff.”McDonald needed just 81 pitches to get through his seven innings, and he said adrenaline carried him most of the way. It started to fade late in his outing, and then he took a liner back to the mound. “I think (the adrenaline) came back a little bit when that ball hit me in the butt,” McDonald said, smiling.Trainer Dave Groeschner came out and tried to get McDonald to throw a warm-up pitch to test his leg, but he didn’t want to, and it’s hard to blame him. With the way his last couple of years have gone, he’ll want to keep any momentum going when he’s on a big league mound.The Giants tried plenty of others before finally giving McDonald two starts down the stretch last year. He shoved at Dodger Stadium and then struck out 10 in his final appearance, which led to an obvious question: What took so long to turn to this guy?The front office knows what he’s capable of now, and the new coaching staff does, too. There isn’t an open spot in the rotation at the moment, although Houser has struggled, and at some point someone will get hurt. That’s just life in a big league rotation. If McDonald ends up back in Triple-A, he’ll be ready to hear his name get called again. “We’ll see what everybody’s fate is come tomorrow and the next day and the next day,” Vitello said. “But I think you’re seeing faces that will help us.”Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

What’s next for Trevor McDonald after sending message in dominant Giants start?

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