**Giants Claim Derek Hill**
The San Francisco Giants have claimed outfielder Derek Hill off waivers from the Texas Rangers, announced yesterday.
Hill, 28, was signed by the Rangers as a minor league free agent this past offseason. The former first-rounder joined the major league roster in late May and went 2-for-3 with a walk in his first game. However, after going 0-for-4 in his next game, he played just three more games, totaling two plate appearances before being designated for assignment in early June due to Corey Seager’s unavailability, which necessitated adding an infielder.
After clearing waivers, Hill declined an outright assignment and became a free agent but re-signed with the Rangers on a minor league deal shortly after. He returned to the major league roster in late June as a right-handed bat to help the Rangers against left-handed pitchers.
Initially successful, Hill went 5-for-14 with three homers and a walk in his first four games. However, he struggled afterward, going 4-for-20 with eight strikeouts and no walks in July. He was designated for assignment when the Rangers brought up Justin Foscue last week, as Hill was out of options.
Hill is expected to compete for the fourth outfielder spot with the Giants, who currently have Luis Matos in that role. The Giants are 48-54, sitting in fourth place in the National League West.
With Hill’s DFA, the Rangers’ 40-man roster now has 39 players. The vacant spot is likely to be filled soon by Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle, or Josh Jung, all on the 60-day injured list, with Bradford and Mahle currently on rehab assignments.
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