Giants sign Donny Sands to a minor league deal.
The Giants recently signed catcher Donny Sands to a minor league contract. The 28-year-old made his Triple-A Sacramento debut on Sunday, going 0-5 with three strikeouts.
That was Sands’ first affiliated action of the 2024 season. The Tigers let him go at the end of March. Sands then had a brief run in Mexico, playing 16 games for the Toros de Tijuana. He hit.245/.339/.490 with four home runs, earning another chance at Triple-A pitching.
Sands played the most of last year with Detroit’s top affiliate in Toledo. Sands, who was acquired in the 2022-23 offseason alongside Matt Vierling and Nick Maton as part of the deal that sent Gregory Soto to Philadelphia, struggled with a.225/.318/.353 hitting line in 371 plate appearances with the Mud Hens. He never appeared in an MLB game for Detroit. Sands was removed from the Tigers’ 40-man roster in January and dismissed after going 1-8 in spring training.
Sands has played in only three major league games, all of which occurred with the Phillies in 2022. He will provide short-term coverage for a team coping with a handful of ailments behind the plate. Patrick Bailey is on the concussion injury list. Tom Murphy will be out until at least July due to a sprained left knee.
The Giants signed Curt Casali to a major league contract late last week. He and Blake Sabol are sharing catching duties in the MLB until Bailey returns. Jakson Reetz, who is on the 40-man roster, is on voluntary assignment to Sacramento. Sands joins the River Cats as a potential competitor for the third catcher position.
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