ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - June and July has been a roller coaster for the former first round draft pick in 2014 and Elk Grove High School alumnus Derek Hill. 

A few years removed from his departure from the Detroit Tigers, the team that drafted him, he has since bounced around with stints in the Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers organizations. 

Hill signed a minor league deal with the Rangers this past offseason, but while with the big league team, he was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and was sent to the minors, recalled to the majors again then designated for assignment again. 

He was designated for assignment on June 7 and was designated again on July 20, but this allowed for a Northern California homecoming for the former Herd outfielder. He was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants on July 23. 

The official Elk Grove Herd Baseball account on X said, “DHill is coming home to the west coast!” 

His Giants debut would come against the Los Angeles Dodgers, for which Hill’s father is a scout, on July 25. 

Getting the start in left field, Hill would go 0-2 in his two plate appearances of the day before getting pinch-hit for. 

His debut at home would be the following day on July 26 against the Colorado Rockies. In his first at-bat he singled to right field to give him his first hit with his new team. 

After getting a day off, Hill would record two hits on July 28 against the Rockies, including an RBI triple into Oracle Park’s famous “triples alley” and a single. 

Hill would take to his Instagram stories as he reposted the video of his RBI triple in the Giants win over the Rockies by a score of 5-4 with the caption “God is good.” 

In the postgame interview for NBC Sports Bay Area, Hill said, “It’s an absolute blessing, I mean me and my dad used to come to these games all the time, sitting down the right field line, so to be back in this park with him in the stands is truly incredible.” 

Although just a few days with the Giants, Hill said he’s excited to see where he and the Giants can go this season. 

“The last three days have been quite a spectacle in there (the clubhouse), to say the least, and it’s great to be with this group of guys with unbelievable teammates, and I’m really excited to see where this momentum takes us,” Hill said. 

So far this 2024 season, in the time that he’s been in the majors, Hill is slashing .245/.275/.429 with three home runs and five RBIs through 49 at-bats. 

With recent struggles from the current Giants outfielders and some defensive mishaps, Hill can be a spark they need as at time of publication they sit at a 53-55 record, being 10.5 games back in the National League West and 3.5 games back of a wild card spot.