SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants’ dugout during Cactus League games at Scottsdale Stadium resembles New York’s Penn Station on the day before Thanksgiving, stuffed to the rafters with barely enough room to breathe.

As if the dugout were not filled enough with most of the 72 players, 13 coaches and assorted trainers and support personnel in camp, the Giants are routinely summoning about a dozen more players from minor-league camp for each game, an unusual sight this early in camp.

The reason reflects one more subtle spring training departure under new manager Gabe Kapler, who does not want anybody to play back-to-back games this early.

Bruce Bochy shared that philosophy with his older players, but had no reservations about using younger guys and nonroster invitees in consecutive games. The Giants thus had more than enough players to cover games without having to add more.

Kapler won’t let anybody play consecutive games now, so even with 32 healthy position players in camp, the Giants need reinforcements to get through nine innings.

Like everything else in the new era, the Giants point to data to support what Kapler called a “slow ramp” for all of his players over the first 10 games.

“One thing that’s kind of semi-predictive is ramping up too fast, so not being prepared for a workload,” Kapler said. “That’s why you’re seeing our guys come out of games after four innings or two at bats, and then getting the next full day off.”

The real winners are the minor-leaguers, who get more opportunities to impress those who will decide their fates.

One example is third baseman Jacob Gonzalez, who got a hit in Sunday’s game against the A’s and made a diving stop to rob Oakland of a run.

Ryan Howard, an infielder who was in big-league camp last year, but not this year, homered in the Cactus League opener against the Dodgers on Saturday. On Monday against the Diamodbacks, he doubled home a run, singled and started a double play with a diving catch at short.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman