The San Francisco Giants are in scramble mode right now, and it’s not just one area of concern-it’s coming at them from every direction. For manager Bob Melvin, that means every option is on the table as he tries to stop the bleeding.

Earlier this season, the Giants’ pitching staff was a stabilizing force. But fast forward to mid-August, and that once-reliable group is now battling fatigue, injuries, and a whole lot of uncertainty.

Kai-Wei Teng is the 3rd pitcher in Giants franchise history to have a game with at least 7 runs, 4 BB but 0 K in fewer than 2 IP, joining Kirk Rueter (2001) and Jumbo Brown (1939).

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) August 14, 2025

Logan Webb and Robbie Ray have stood tall amid the mess, continuing to provide consistency every fifth day. Beyond them, though, it’s been a rotation patched together with duct tape and hope.

Things really took a hit when Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks were dealt to the Boston Red Sox in the blockbuster that landed Rafael Devers. That splashy play reshaped the roster but thinned out the pitching depth in a hurry.

Complicating matters further, Landen Roupp is sidelined with an injury, while Hayden Birdsong’s recent struggles earned him a trip back down to the minors. By the time the trade deadline came around, the Giants were no longer shopping for upgrades-they were offloading.

Buster Posey saw the direction things were going and made the tough call to pivot. Instead of pushing in chips, the Giants became sellers, shipping off bullpen arms Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval in the process.

That kind of upheaval in the pitching staff leaves vacancies that need to be filled, often by prospects who weren’t quite ready for a full workload in the spotlight. That’s exactly the situation now, as Carson Whisenhunt and Kai-Wei Teng have been handed Major League innings-ready or not.

Whisenhunt, one of the organization’s more promising arms, has been promoted to the Big League rotation. Through his first 14.1 innings, he’s carrying a 5.02 ERA with 12 strikeouts-numbers that suggest he’s finding his footing, albeit with some bumps along the way. Scroll down the stat sheet, and Teng’s numbers tell a much rougher story.

Teng has taken the mound three times so far, but only one of those outings went the way the Giants might’ve hoped. In his other two starts, he’s been hit hard-including a disastrous appearance against the red-hot San Diego Padres when he made some unfortunate franchise history.

Facing a relentless Padres lineup, Teng went just 1.2 innings, allowing seven hits, four walks, and seven runs-six of them earned-without recording a single strikeout. That performance placed him in a very exclusive and unenviable club.

According to one data nugget surfaced on X, Teng became just the third pitcher in San Francisco Giants history to allow at least seven runs, walk four or more, and strike out none in fewer than two innings pitched. The only other names on that list: Kirk Reuter in 2001 and Jumbo Brown way back in 1939.

With outings like that, it’s fair to ask whether the starting role is the best use of Teng’s arm right now. In his two starts, he’s gone five innings total, giving up 12 runs (11 earned) on eight hits and seven walks. But-there’s a but-sandwiched between those rocky performances was one promising showing that gives the Giants a reason to keep evaluating.

When used as a bulk reliever behind an opener against the Washington Nationals, Teng was a different pitcher entirely. He threw five scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and one walk, and punched out four.

It was a sharp, composed outing that showed exactly what he can do when he gets into a rhythm. Yes, the matchup played a role-the Nationals’ offense isn’t nearly as intimidating as what the Mets or Padres bring to the table-but the contrast was still glaring.

So now the question for Bob Melvin becomes not just if Teng will continue to earn starts, but how to deploy him in a way that maximizes his comfort and effectiveness. Using him out of the bullpen-and possibly pairing him with an opener-could help protect him early in games and take some pressure off.

The Giants aren’t in a position to turn away from any viable solution right now. The back end of the rotation is in flux, the bullpen has been gutted, and young pitchers are learning under fire.

Whisenhunt and Teng are both part of a larger process: a team trying to stay afloat while reorganizing for the future. Whether these young arms can straighten out their issues or whether they’ll need more seasoning remains to be seen.

But in a season that’s suddenly shifted from buyer to rebuilder, evaluation becomes the name of the game.