Giants outfielder Austin Slater has suffered a strained hamstring, supervisor Gabe Kapler instructed reporters, together with Evan Webeck of Mercury Information. It’s not identified but how this damage impacts Slater’s standing for Opening Day, now simply 12 days away. Slater’s damage is one other blow to the Giants’ outfield depth chart, with Mitch Haniger already recovering from an indirect pressure and unsure for Opening Day himself.
Haniger and Slater haven’t been formally dominated out of Opening Day, so it stays doable that each may characteristic. But ought to each miss time, the workforce’s depth within the outfield would take a little bit of a success. Joc Pederson, Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski would probably line up because the beginning three outfielders, probably opening up the DH spot for one more possibility, equivalent to J.D. Davis.
This improvement may additionally open the door for non-roster invitee Stephen Piscotty to make the workforce out of camp as a bench outfielder. The previous Athletic and Cardinal has had a stable spring, slashing .333/.391/.476 going into Saturday’s video games. It’s been a number of seasons since he was an above-average MLB participant, however he may give the Giants a stable veteran possibility till Slater and/or Haniger return. Rule 5 choose Blake Sabol would possibly’ve been an alternative choice for the Giants as he frolicked within the outfield within the minors, however it’s been reported that they view him as strictly a catcher.
Slater, 30, slashed .264/.366/.408 with seven house runs for the Giants final season. He appeared in 125 video games final season, largely dealing with middle discipline but in addition spending time within the corners. The signings of Conforto and Haniger seemed set to relegate him to a bench position this season, however the latter’s indirect pressure had initially made him a very good probability to start out on Opening Day.