Francisco Peguero will make his Major League debut when the San Francisco Giants face the Atlanta Braves in the third game of a four-game series on Saturday.
Manager Bruce Bochy gave Peguero the start in left field and he will be batting eighth in the lineup.
“He was here early and I know he’s excited,” Bochy said. “This is what you dream about, making it in the major leagues. He’s going to be nervous, and he should be, but I look forward to seeing him.”
Peguero was called up on Thursday after the team sent OF Justin Christian to the DL with a sprained wrist he injured in a diving play in left field on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Peguero was batting .272 with five home runs and 68 RBI in 105 games for Triple-A Fresno this season.
Bochy said he has not seen much of Peguero other than what he saw from him in spring training, but he hopes his recent 22-game hit streak will translate to the MLB level.
“He’s athletic, runs pretty good, got a good arm, plays with energy,” Bochy said.
Peguero will basically bring speed and a hot bat to the Giants lineup, after recently ending his 22-game hitting streak with the Fresno Grizzlies.
Bochy said he is an aggressive hitter, which would explain his .272 batting average in the midst of a lengthy hitting streak.
—–
The nearest threat to the Giants’ hopes of an NL West title and playoff chances, the Los Angeles Dodgers, made their blockbuster trade official on Saturday, barring an unfavorable ruling from commissioner Bud Selig.
They will send James Loney, Rubby De La Rosa and prospects to the Boston Red Sox in return for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto.
It is a move making a clear statement to MLB teams that their new ownership means business, and money is no object.
“You can’t think about what you can’t control,” Bochy said. “We have to try to come out here and try to win every game.”
“They made a blockbuster deal, and they’re a better club,” he said. “At the same time, it’s not something we need to think about.”
Bochy said he has met with GM Brian Sabean and will meet with him after the game, but he does not think a team needs to make a move in response to another team’s activity, although it appeared that way when the Dodgers acquired Hanley Ramirez and the Giants acquired Hunter Pence near the trade deadline.
The hole for the Giants remains in left field, where Gregor Blanco, Justin Christian and now Francisco Peguero have called home since Melky Cabrera was suspended 50 games for testing positive for testosterone, but Bochy said he is fine with Blanco and the hot-hitting call-up Peguero — at least for the time being.
Adrian Gonzalez is reportedly in the lineup for Los Angeles tonight against the Miami Marlins.
