SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Ryan McKenna, an outfielder for the Orioles, was claimed by the Giants off waivers, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. McKenna will now play for a different team for the first time in his nine professional seasons after being designated for assignment earlier this week.
It makes perfect sense for the Giants, who are dealing with a number of ailments, especially in the outfield. In addition to Austin Slater and Michael Conforto being out of commission for the remainder of the season, Jung Hoo Lee just had shoulder surgery.
Due to the injuries to both starter Patrick Bailey and backup Tom Murphy as well as shortstop Nick Ahmed, San Francisco has had to scour its depth chart in addition to seeking outside assistance, as evidenced by the recent signing of veteran catcher Curt Casali.
While Mike Yastrzemski swings left, McKenna is a right-handed batter who can also complement him, though McKenna has never packed much punch at the plate. McKenna has only hit .224/.302/.332 in 517 career MLB plate appearances with eight home homers.
Additionally, he has a far more remarkable slash line of .261/.359/.556 over 274 PA in Triple-A, with a large portion of that damage occurring in a successful 2021 campaign.
McKenna has shown promise with the O’s for stints at a time. With the young crop of players coming into Baltimore, McKenna had no place. San Francisco’s injury riddled outfield will now see reinforcements coming in for the foreseeable future.
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