The San Francisco Giants are just five days away from opening day against the New York Yankees. Every injury is an issue.
Giants beat writers in Scottsdale, Ariz., reported on Friday that outfielder Harrison Bader has a tight left hamstring. Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Bader is seen as day-to-day.
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The injury may not keep him out of opening day. But it means his status will be a daily talking point until San Francisco has to set its opening day lineup on Wednesday when it hosts the Yankees at Oracle Park. A trip to the injured list may not be needed. But, only time will tell.
Harrison Bader's Importance
San Francisco signed Bader to a two-year deal worth $20 million. The Giants immediately named him their starting center fielder and moved Jung Hoo Lee from center field to right field. It was an easy decision. Bader has a Gold Glove, which he won in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is also worth 51 Defensive Runs Saved and 67 Outs Above Average in his career as a center fielder. Improving the defense in the outfield was a stated goal.
It made little sense to have Bader start somewhere else. But San Francisco wanted to keep Lee's bat in the lineup. Moving him to right field does that and hopefully makes his glove less of a liability. As a Major League player, he has minus-20 defensive runs saved and minus-6 outs above average. Lee played right field in the KBO but has not done so with San Francisco.
A tight hamstring can become a pulled hamstring quick, hence the watchful eye on Bader. He plays the hardest position in the outfield, which requires coverage of center field and the gaps in left field and right field.
While Bader's bat has at times been inconsistent, the Giants are getting him at a time in which his bat is on an upswing.
He has a lifetime slash of .247/.313/.401 with 88 home runs and 322 RBI. Last year in 146 games with the Twins and the Phillies he slashed .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. From a slugging perspective, it was his best season since 2021, when he slashed .267/.324/.460 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI.
The Giants have one more game in Arizona, as they host Cleveland on Saturday. After that, San Francisco heads back to California to face its Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday, the Giants will host Gigantes at Oracle Park, followed by the Yankees. Logan Webb is the scheduled starter for opening day.