As it turns out, a little bit of disrespect may have been what San Francisco Giants outfielder Luis Matos needed to find his groove again.
In an interview on KNBR 680’s Murph and Markus show, Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow said the Giants’ puzzling move to pass over Matos in favor of calling up career infielder Tyler Fitzgerald back on August 12, 2025 to try his hand in right field likely motivated Matos to work hard in AAA Sacramento and earn another look at the MLB level.
“I think what they did, about a month ago, think back, when Drew Gilbert came up and they brought Tyler Fitzgerald back [in right field] … That was a massive head-slap to Luis Matos,” Krukow said (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area). “That’s how you motivate from the front office to a player in the minor leagues. You move somebody right past him. And you talk about a reality check, it absolutely happened to Matos.”
As Krukow mentioned, the Giants were also giving rookie Drew Gilbert a chance to earn the starting right fielder job in early August while Matos was stuck in AAA Sacramento.
Since the Giants recalled Matos on August 21, 2025, he has hit .533 (8 hits in 15 at-bats) with 2 home runs, 3 RBI and 5 runs scored.
Matos Has Had A Tough Season
Luis Matos has shown flashes of brilliance in parts of three seasons at the big league level, including winning a National League Player of the Week award in 2024, but has never consistently been able to produce at the MLB level.
In 165 career games (the equivalent of just over one full season) Matos has hit .229 with 14 home runs, 55 RBI and 7 stolen bases.
This season has been especially tough for Matos. He opened the season as the Giants fourth outfielder, then seemed poised to claim the starting right field job after the Giants traded away franchise favorite Mike Yastrzemski.
But in early August, the Giants had replaced him with a rookie and a career infielder who also hasn’t hit this season. The Giants faith in Matos appeared to be so low, that they were willing to try anyone else in his position.
But as Krukow mentioned, all that has resulted in is Matos’s best stretch of 2025, both at the AAA and MLB level.
If he can consistently hit like he has the last four games, he has a real chance to cement himself as the Giants’ opening day right fielder for 2025.
How Should The Giants Handle Right Field For The Rest of 2024?
Many Giants fans are finally hoping that after his most recent hot streak, the Giants will let Luis Matos start most if not all of San Francisco’s remaining games and give him an extended look.
The Giants have 31 games left in their season. On the active roster, there aren’t many obstacles to letting Matos take up 28 or more of those starts.
The problem may come when rosters expand.
On September 1, 2025, the Giants will be allowed to add 2 extra players to their active roster. San Francisco could use the opportunity to promote Marco Luciano or Wade Meckler to the MLB roster to see how they fare in the outfield.
meckler hits his THIRD homerun over the last five games putting the cats on the board
Neither Luciano nor Meckler have played a single game in the MLB this season, despite solid minor league campaigns.
The Giants could also return OF Jerar Encarnacion at some point. Encarnacion has had a rough, injury-plagued season but he did hit home runs in back to back games before his latest injury. The Giants may not have given up on him yet.
If Matos continues to play well, it seems like manager Bob Melvin will have no choice but to keep penciling him in the lineup. But the Giants have gotten in their own way with players many times this season.
What do you think, Giants fans? Should Matos play every day for the rest of 2025?
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