SF Giants monitoring Buster Posey, who remains on active roster and out of starting lineup

Giants manager Gabe Kapler wrote Curt Casali’s name into the starting lineup for the second consecutive game, but it’s possible starting catcher Buster Posey will be available off the bench in Monday’s series opener against the Phillies.

Posey was diagnosed with a left elbow contusion after taking a 90-mile per hour changeup off the elbow from Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara in Saturday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss. Posey initially stayed in the game to run the bases and scored on an Austin Slater pinch-hit home run, but did not return to catch in the eighth inning.

Casali has caught three consecutive shutouts in his last three starts, becoming the first Giants catcher to achieve that feat since Posey did so from May 3-5, 2015.

The Giants activated Chadwick Tromp off the taxi squad to serve as Casali’s backup catcher on Sunday and Tromp remains on the 26-man roster on Monday, but it’s likely his brief stint with the club will end soon as the club plans to activate pitchers Jake McGee and Logan Webb from the COVID-19 injured list in the near future.

Both McGee and Webb were placed on the injured list prior to Sunday’s game as they were still experiencing side effects after receiving second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week.

Kapler said he expects Webb to return from the injured list Tuesday as he’s the probable starter who will face Phillies right-hander and former Giants first round draft choice Zack Wheeler. Webb was removed from the rotation last week and replaced by Alex Wood, but a stint in the bullpen didn’t last long as the Giants needed another starter after Johnny Cueto was placed on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 lat strain on Thursday.

McGee could return to the Giants’ active roster prior to first pitch on Monday as Kapler said the team was still considering a roster move about three hours before the series opener.

“It’s likely we’re going to take one more day to monitor (McGee), but I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves yet,” Kapler said.

Kapler said on his KNBR pregame show Sunday the club was initially planning to option outfielder Steven Duggar to the team’s alternate site to clear space for starting pitcher Alex Wood on the roster, but those plans changed when McGee and Webb were placed on the injured list. Barring any new injuries, it’s likely Duggar and Tromp will be optioned to the alternate site when McGee and Webb rejoin the Giants.