Travis Ishikawa staying with Giants was ‘kind of a no-brainer’
Travis Ishikawa staying with Giants was ‘kind of a no-brainer’
Travis Ishikawa was deadly honest upon his return to the Giants on Wednesday, promoted from Triple-A as Nori Aoki was placed on the disabled list with a fractured right fibula.
When Ishikawa had the choice last month of accepting an assignment to Sacramento or becoming a free agent, he stayed because he otherwise would have forfeited the roughly $800,000 left on his 2015 contract.
[...] staying with the Giants was “kind of a no-brainer.”
Beyond the money, Ishikawa said, he and the Giants have a “comfortability” with one another because of their long association, which led to his pennant-winning home run against the Cardinals last season and a World Series championship.
“There wasn’t really a downside to not staying,” Ishikawa said.
Ishikawa had to swallow his pride and accept that the team did not see a spot for him after he completed his rehab assignment from a back injury.
[...] the 31-year-old has been through the drill, having spent all or part of the past five seasons in the minors.
In the days before the Giants designated him for assignment, Ishikawa did the roster math and saw it coming.
Maybe because I had a sense it was happening softened the blow a little bit.
The Giants still would not provide a prognosis for Aoki other than saying he will be re-examined in about two weeks to see how well the fracture has healed. ...
Manager Bruce Bochy said he hoped Sergio Romo would be available for a few hitters Wednesday after hyperextending his left knee Tuesday night.
Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
On Tuesday, Madison Bumgarner became the first pitcher with at least 14 strikeouts and only one walk to get a no-decision since the Cubs’ Mark Prior in 2004.