Giants pick up victory over Twins, but Blade Tidwell's exit may be cause for concern

With a collection of River Cats and Flying Squirrels, the San Francisco Giants and/or their subsidiaries lost yet another player to injury just four innings in Monday night.

The team already has set a franchise record for players used in a season, 70, after adding infielder Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Bo Davidson to the roster before facing the Twins at Oracle Park, then starter Blade Tidwell left with what appeared to be arm discomfort. Somehow, with zero players remaining from the Opening Day lineup and with a taxed bullpen, the Giants still beat Minnesota 5-2.

Davidson helped immediately, concluding his nine-pitch first major-league at-bat with a first-inning single that sent Drew Gilbert to third. Davidson stole second, then Brett Harris, a waiver-wire pickup who’d previously played for the A’s and Red Sox this year, drove both men in with a two-out single.

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San Francisco Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert (0) celebrates his home run against the Minnesota Twins in the 5th inning during an MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)

Gilbert was the man of the night on the offensive side. He smacked a two-run single in the second and belted a solo homer in the fifth.

On the pitching side, Tristan Beck gets the laurels. Called up Sunday from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, he took over when Tidwell exited mid-batter and delivered 2⅔ scoreless innings, retiring all eight men he faced.

Tidwell, who’d been projected to be a likely member of the rotation next year, was coming off his first win with San Francisco after allowing two runs in 6⅔ innings at St. Louis. Monday, he’d allowed a pair of two-out singles over the first three innings before Brooks Lee hit a leadoff homer in the fourth.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blade Tidwell (46) exits in the 4th inning during an MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)

Top starter Logan Webb went on the injured list last week, Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahler were traded last month, Adrian Houser has a right forearm strain and Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald and Carson Whisenhunt have all had Tommy John surgery this year. If Tidwell cannot go Sunday, the Giants would need another starter or to throw a bullpen game.

Joe Whitman, another player who started the season at Double-A Richmond (the Flying Squirrels), has fared well at Sacramento, with a 3.74 ERA there should the team decide to add yet another Squirrel-River Cat.

The Giants have the second-youngest roster in baseball, at 26.3 years. The oldest active players, reliever Joel Kuhnel and catcher Andrew Knizner, are 31.