On Monday September 1, 2025, as MLB rosters are allowed to expand from 26 to 28 players for September call-ups, the San Francisco Giants added RHP JT Brubaker to their 28-man roster.
The Giants signed Brubaker, 31, to a minor league contract on Thursday August 14, 2025 after the New York Yankees designated him for assignment.
Brubaker has a 3.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 16 innings out of the bullpen for the Yankees this season.
Historically, he has been a starting pitcher. He started 61 games in three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020-22.
He has been struggling with injuries since 2022 and is attempting to make a big-league comeback of sorts this season.
He has appeared in 3 games (2 starts) with the AAA Sacramento River Cats since the Giants signed him. He has recorded a stellar 1.64 ERA, surrendering only 6 hits and 2 runs, in 11 innings.
Overalll in his career, Brubaker has a 9-28 record with a 4.91 ERA and 334 strikeouts in 331.2 innings.
Brubaker Set To Be A Long Relief Option
Manager Bob Melvin said that JT Brubaker will serve as a long relief option in the bullpen for now, Giants insider Susan Slusser reported.
However, it’s not impossible that Brubaker could be in the starting pitching rotation by the end of the season. With Carson Whisenhunt and Landen Roupp injured, the Giants currently have Kai-Wei Teng and Carson Seymour filling in in the starting rotation.
Neither Teng nor Seymour have had success as a big-league starter. So the Giants could turn to the more experienced Brubaker down the stretch.
Giants Also Called Up Grant McCray
The Giants’ other roster addition to bring the total from 26 to 28 was outfielder Grant McCray.
McCray has had an abysmal season at the MLB level, with only 2 hits in 20 at-bats. But, he likely won’t get many starts over Luis Matos and Drew Gilbert in right field.
McCray is only in the big leagues for speed and defense off the bench, according to Melvin.
McCray also made a brief appearance with the Giants in 2024. In 37 games in ’24 he hit .202 with 5 home runs and 10 RBI.
Giants’ Moves Signal A Desire To Compete For Playoffs
The reason the Giants called up Brubaker and McCray instead of more exciting prospects with more potential such as Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez is because the Giants are still hoping to compete for a playoff spot.
San Francisco had a historically rough June and July, and by mid-August, many fans figured they were out of the playoff race.
But the Giants won seven of their final eight games in the month of August behind a massive offensive resurgence. They are now only 5 games back of the third wild card spot, occupied by the New York Mets.
“There will be other call-ups if they start losing games again,” insider Alex Pavlovich wrote on X.
One of those callups is likely to be the elite-hitting catching prospect Rodriguez.
“Rodriguez needs a little more time at catcher in Sacramento but [Melvin] says he could be an option at some point,” Slusser wrote on X.
Giants catchers have hit only .208 this season, so fans are eager to see Rodriguez hopefully bring some offense to the position soon.
Giants fans, what do you think of the September call-ups? Will the Giants continue to stay in the playoff race?
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