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Giants Keep Top Prospect Bryce Eldridge on Bench Again as Usage Draws Fire

The stop‑start plan for the 21-year-old reflects a clash between short-term urgency versus development.

Overview

  • Eldridge sat for the next game after recording his first multi-hit night since his May call-up, continuing a pattern of inconsistent starts and rare pinch-hit use.
  • Eldridge has started four of the past nine games on the road trip, including assignments against Dodgers aces Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani that offered tough matchups.
  • Manager Tony Vitello cited Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson’s reverse splits as the reason for Tuesday’s lineup, and he said Eldridge is slated to start against Merrill Kelly in the series finale.
  • Team insiders Alex Pavlovic and Cole Kuiper said the handling raises “alarm bells,” noting fans’ frustration and the franchise’s recent struggles to give top prospects steady roles.
  • Eldridge earned his promotion with a .333 average and a .963 OPS at Triple-A, but his big-league line sits at .143 over 28 at-bats, a small sample that critics argue makes consistent reps more important.