Notebook: Reliever Joe Nathan is back with the Giants
Nearly 13 years after he was traded away, Joe Nathan is back with the Giants.
San Francisco promoted the 41-year-old right-hander from Double-A Richmond before Saturday’s game against the Cubs.
“I want to prove to myself that I can still do it,” said Nathan, who signed a minor league deal Aug. 19.
Nathan was a sixth-round pick of the Giants in 1995 and began his career as a starter before moving to the bullpen. But after struggling in the 2003 playoffs, Nathan was dealt along with left-hander Francisco Liriano to Minnesota for catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
It turned out to a one-sided deal, as Nathan became one of the top closers in the game with 377 saves and six All-Star selections with Minnesota, Texas and Detroit. But he has appeared in only four major league games the past two seasons after a second Tommy John surgery.
“Ultimate motivation is to win a ring and from there it was kind of nice to prove some people wrong,” Nathan said. “Once I had the injury, I don’t think it was 5 minutes after we found out I was going to have surgery that people were already saying, ‘So you’re retiring, right?’”
Manager Bruce Bochy says the playoff contenders plan to use Nathan in the sixth and seventh innings.
Dodgers call up pitcher for debut
Pitcher Jose De Leon will make his big-league debut on Sunday for the N.L. West-leading L.A. Dodgers against the San Diego Padres.
De Leon, 24 years old, was 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City while limiting opposing batters to a .194 average. He struck out 111 and walked 20.
After getting the news, De Leon shared it with his parents, who quickly made plans to arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
“They were really happy,” he said. “They were crying and jumping all over the place. It still hasn’t hit me.”
Four other rookies were brought up, including Julio Urias who proved reliable in the Dodgers’ fight to protect their slim division lead over San Francisco.
Gymnast flips out for first pitch
It’s safe to say no major league pitcher will try to emulate Laurie Hernandez’s acrobatic windup anytime soon.
The U.S. Olympic champion gymnast from New Jersey flipped out , so to speak, while throwing the first ball at Citi Field before the New York Mets hosted Washington.
Standing in front of the mound and wearing a No. 16 Mets jersey with her name on the back, Hernandez received a warm ovation from the crowd. She took off her gold medal and draped it around her sister’s neck, then took a couple of steps forward and – with a baseball in her hand – performed an aerial cartwheel.
Back on her feet, the smiling Hernandez then kicked her front leg and bounced a one-hop toss to Mets catcher Rene Rivera that went wide of home plate.