SF Giants OF Austin Slater 'likely' to begin rehab stint on Saturday
The SF Giants appear to be approaching outfielder Austin Slater's return to the active roster. Slater, who has been on the injured list since May 11th with a left hamstring strain, is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday, according to Giants beat writer Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. Slater appeared in seven games at Triple-A earlier this season when he went out on a rehab assignment.
Slater has been sidelined with injuries multiple times this season, including a separate hamstring strain and an injury to his throwing elbow. When healthy, he has hit .368/.455/.421 with a double, three walks, three strikeouts, and two stolen bases in eight games (22 plate appearances). During his rehab stint at Triple-A Sacramento, he hit .333/.429/.556 with a double and home run.
A former Stanford star, Slater has been in the Giants organization since he was drafted in the 8th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Slater made his big-league debut with the team in 2017 and has been a part of the team's outfield rotation ever since. Over his career, Slater has a .257/.347/.402 triple-slash in 469 games.
While Slater's overall numbers have been reflective of a roughly league-average hitter, the Jacksonville, Florida native has always been far more productive with a platoon advantage against left-handed pitchers. In 653 career plate appearances against southpaws, Slater has a .291/.381/.473 line with 33 doubles, five triples, and 20 home runs.
Slater is also a versatile defensive outfielder when healthy, capable of handling all three outfield positions. Granted, the Giants have cut down his usage defensively as they have eased him back into playing time following his injury.
Speedy switch-hitter Bryce Johnson has been filling in for Slater and would likely be optioned when he returns to the active roster. Johnson is one of the best baserunners in the organization and is elite defensively but has struggled mightily at the plate. Assuming he is back to 100% when he returns, Austin Slater would likely return to a full platoon with Mike Yastrzemski in center field.
