SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants have a big hole to fill at the top of the lineup again this season.
San Francisco picked up a big 8-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park on Monday, but it came at a cost.
First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., who leads the Giants in batting average (.333) and all MLB hitters in on-base percentage (.470), left Monday’s game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a strained left hamstring. Slide to second base on a double.
Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters after the game that the initial prognosis on Wade’s injury “doesn’t look good” and that he will definitely end up on the injured list.
how long Wade will have an MRI on Tuesday so that remains to be seen.
“He’s not ideal,” Melvin said. “He’s hitting .330 or whatever. “A lot of guys in the league can’t do what he does. “He’s not only a good left-handed hitter, he’s one of the best in the game.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely tough to watch, especially with the way the season is going,” linebacker Wilmer Flores added. “He has to try and come back as soon as possible, but it’s very sad.”
Flores will be the everyday first baseman with Wade out. The Giants know this much. However, what they don’t know yet is who will replace him among the very few left-handed hitters on the roster. Without Wade, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, infielder Brett Weasley and shortstop Patrick Bailey are the remaining players on the 26-man roster.
Left-handed hitting catcher and outfielder Blake Sabol is an option on the 40-man roster. The Giants also gave him first base in spring training, which could now pay off. Melvin mentioned first baseman Trenton Brooks, who is currently hitting .308/.426/.462 with four home runs and 18 RBI for Triple-A Sacramento, though he will likely require a 40-man roster move.
The Giants know they are short on left-handers right now, and the solution is unclear. Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto is close to a return, but he may need a rehab game or two this week before he can be reactivated.
One silver lining is that Flores is a great insurance plan at first. Similar to his career-best 2023, Flores didn’t have an everyday role to start the campaign, but key injuries — among them, surprisingly, to Wade — forced him into a feature role. Hitting .284/.355/.509 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 405 at-bats, he took his chances and ran.
As Flores proved last season, he remains ready when his number is called and maintains the same approach at the plate no matter how often he plays.
“Your routine changes a little bit, but the mindset is the same,” Flores explained. “Get a good bat and try to hit the ball hard. Nothing’s going to change.”
The lineup is so strong this season that while he may not need to produce at the level he did last year, the Giants will certainly welcome Flores to accept his everyday role and become one of the more consistent players in the lineup.
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