Tuesday BP: Mason Black optioned

Monday was a busy day for the San Francisco Giants, who made a personnel move — placing center fielder Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-Day IL and calling up catcher Jakson Reetz — welcomed the Dodgers to town, and then played a thrilling, albeit not very fruitful game, losing 6-4 in extra innings.

Because the day was so busy, some news slipped through the cracks. Shortly before the game, the Giants optioned right-handed pitcher Mason Black, and recalled fellow right-handed pitcher Nick Avila.

Black made his MLB debut last Monday in a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, in which he pitched admirably, ultimately falling apart when stretched a little too much to help a taxed bullpen. He made a second start on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds and was fantastic.

As much as Giants fans will be sad to see Black head back to AAA Sacramento, his optioning means something exciting: Blake Snell will be returning. Snell made a rehab start for Low-A San Jose on Sunday, and pitched four perfect innings, including an immaculate first inning. That was apparently all the Giants needed to see, as they’re now set to welcome the reigning Cy Young winner back to the rotation, hopefully with better results this time around.

The Giants can tinker with their rotation after Thursday’s off day, should they choose, but all signs point towards Snell returning for Friday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies. Not only is that the normal amount of rest following his outing on Friday, but it slides him right back into his normal spot in the rotation, in between Logan Webb (who is scheduled to pitch Wednesday’s finale against the Dodgers) and Kyle Harrison.

Fear not, fans of Mason Black: he’ll surely be back soon. You can never have enough pitching depth, and he’s a core part of the team going forward.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants host the Dodgers again tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.