The San Francisco Giants are taking a cautious approach with young right-hander Hayden Birdsong after he experienced elbow soreness during a recent spring outing.

Manager Tony Vitello confirmed after Thursday night’s 3-3 tie against the Chicago White Sox that the 24-year-old pitcher is currently being evaluated to determine the extent of the issue.

Birdsong most recently appeared in a Cactus League game against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. During that outing, he fired a scoreless sixth inning and reached a top velocity of 99.6 mph on the radar gun.

However, the appearance ended sooner than anticipated after the right-hander began feeling discomfort in his throwing elbow.

According to Maria Guardado of MLB.com, Vitello indicated that the team is still gathering information before making any decisions regarding Birdsong’s status.

“I think he’s getting looked at from some soreness,” Vitello said. “We’re trying to get it looked at and see what’s going on. I don’t think he had anything going on before that.”

The injury concern adds another hurdle to what has already been a difficult spring for Birdsong. Through his first three Cactus League appearances, the young right-hander allowed eight runs across just 2 1/3 innings, resulting in a 30.86 ERA.

Those struggles stand in contrast to the flashes of promise he displayed last season.

Birdsong initially impressed during the early part of the 2025 campaign, pitching well enough to earn a place in the Giants’ Opening Day bullpen. In his first stretch of major-league action, he produced a 2.31 ERA while striking out 25 hitters over 23 1/3 innings across 11 relief appearances.

Later in the season, however, Birdsong’s role shifted. When he transitioned back into the starting rotation toward the end of May, his command became an issue.

Over 10 starts, he posted a 6.17 ERA and issued 27 walks in 42 1/3 innings. The struggles ultimately led to a demotion to Triple-A Sacramento, where he spent the final two months of the regular season working to regain consistency.

The Giants entered camp hoping Birdsong could rebound and reassert himself as a valuable piece of the pitching staff in 2026. For now, those plans remain uncertain as the organization waits for the results of his medical evaluation.

Until more information becomes available, San Francisco will focus on determining whether the soreness is a minor setback or something that could impact the young pitcher’s readiness for the upcoming season.

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