Before their series with the Cincinnati Reds, the San Francisco Giants have made a plethora of roster moves, and I don’t say plethora ‘lightly’, the Giants literally made 10 roster moves ahead of their series opener on Monday evening.
Three players were placed on the IL (Willy Adames, JT Brubaker, Victor Bericoto), five players were promoted from the minors, Bryce Eldridge landed on the Bereavement List, and there was one roster casualty via demotion, which happened to be 6-foot-1, 250-pound southpaw Matt Wilkinson, who carries the nickname ‘Tugboat’.
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Matt ‘Tugboat’ Wilkinson Optioned to Minors
GettyBOSTON, MA – AUGUST 23: Matt Wilkinson #71 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park on August 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Per the several roster transactions, Matt Wilkinson is headed back down to the minors.
The 23-year-old Wilkinson got his first taste of MLB action this month and allowed four earned runs (which all came in his last start) over 5.2 total innings pitched.
In the minors, the 250-pound powerful southpaw carries an ERA of 3.40 over 90 IP with 96 strikeouts in 20 total starts.
NBCSports.com’s Matthew Pouliot wrote (about Wilkinson’s last outing, which came on 8/23):
“He allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out two. Wilkinson threw 66 pitches on three days’ rest after his two-inning MLB debut on Wednesday. With Adrian Houser moving back to the rotation, it’s unclear if Wilkinson will get a start next time through. Sending him down for a fresh arm might be a possibility.”
Wilkinson has indeed been sent down for a fresh arm.
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More on Tugboat Wilkinson
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – AUGUST 19: Matt Wilkinson #71 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch during the first inning of his major league debut against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Matt Wilkinson’s nickname of ‘Tugboat’ goes back 10+ years. He reportedly earned the nickname when he played in the Little League World Series as a kid, and has fully embraced being called that.
His father’s best friend, Phil McNeil, came up with the nickname after watching Wilkinson run the bases. Wilkinson wasn’t known for his speed, and McNeil thought his pace resembled a tugboat slowly pulling another boat.
What started as a family joke could soon become one of the most recognizable nicknames in all of professional baseball.
While he may not earn another start this season, Wilkinson is still just 23 years old and has very promising #s in the minor leagues.
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