Outfielder Drew Gilbert and manager Tony Vitello are finally reunited. After dominating the SEC and college baseball at Tennessee together, the pair are both at the MLB level with the San Francisco Giants. The organization recalled Gilbert to the big leagues on Wednesday to join Vitello’s squad.
Gilbert is being called back up to the major league level after starting the year with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In 11 games this year, Gilbert is hitting for a .263 average and a .389 on-base percentage. He has two doubles and a home run in 45 at-bats.
Vitello is off to a rocky start as the manager of the Giants, though. His squad sits at 6-11 to start the year. The next game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, against the Cincinnati Reds on the road. First pitch is slated for 6:40 p.m. ET and will air on MLB.TV. The lineup cards have not yet been revealed.
The move to send Gilbert back to the MLB comes after a series of injuries for the Giants. San Francisco moved outfielders Harrison Bader (left hamstring strain) and Jared Oliva (left wrist hamate fracture) to the IL. Gilbert and fellow outfielder and Triple-A teammate Will Brennan were then called up.
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Gilbert played at Tennessee from 2020-22. A two-way player to start his career, he settled in as a big bat in the heart of the Vols’ order and as the starting center fielder. In his final season, he hit at a .362 clip with 11 home runs. He was a First-Team All-American and SEC Tournament MVP that year.
Gilbert was selected 28th overall by the Houston Astros in the following MLB draft. However, he was traded to the Mets, then the Giants, before making his MLB debut with San Francisco in August of 2025.
Vitello coached at Tennessee from 2018-25. He turned around a struggling program and turned it into a juggernaut of the sport. This included a national title in 2024, two SEC regular-season titles and two SEC Tournament titles. He has since been replaced by Josh Elander as the Vols’ head coach.
