whatever happened to …

Ethan Small, former SEC pitcher of the year at Mississippi State and a first-round draft pick in 2019, is currently on a rehab assignment in San Francisco’s minor league system. The 27-year-old left-hander pitched relatively well in his first three outings for Triple-A Sacramento but got whacked on Tuesday, surrendering four runs while getting just one out. His ERA over eight rehab appearances all told is 9.00. After going 10-2 with a 1.93 ERA in Starkville in 2019, Small was the 28th overall pick by Milwaukee in that year’s draft. Despite some success in the minors, he made just four big league appearances with the Brewers — 8.71 ERA in 10 1/3 innings — before they traded him to San Francisco this February. The Giants put him on their 40-man roster but also put him on the 60-day injured list with an oblique strain. He made his first rehab appearance on July 16 in rookie ball. It seems unlikely that he’ll have an impact with the Giants this season.