Giants Slugger Set To Rejoin Team After Long Road Trip With Return Date Nearing

The San Francisco Giants seem like they will be getting an important part of their lineup back soon.

Sep 11, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Jerar Encarnacion (59) gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Oracle Park | John Hefti-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have been in search of power throughout their lineup for a while.

Since they play in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in Major League Baseball, it's hard for their own players to put balls over the fence at a consistent rate.

That has spelled trouble for the Giants in recent years, with the remarkable 2021 campaign being the only time in the last eight seasons where they made the playoffs.

Because of that, San Francisco took a flyer on slugger Jerar Encarnacion last year.

In the midst of the 2024 season, the Giants signed him away from the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League on May 16 by locking him into a minor league deal.

It took a while for him to get the call, but after he was promoted on Aug. 2 of that campaign, he immediately showed some of the prominent power potential that he possesses with five homers and 19 RBI in 35 games and 118 plate appearances, to go along with slash line of .248/.277/.425.

Encarnacion was expected to play a major part for this year's club, but during spring training, he suffered a fractured hand that landed him on the injured list.

This was a tough development for both parties, with the slugger having another career setback while San Francisco had to start the season without one of their best pure power hitters.

The good news is the Giants have done more than survived without him, and it seems like he's nearing his return at some point to start the month of June.

Shayna Rubin of The San Francisco Chronicle relayed that manager Bob Melvin stated Encarnacion will likely rejoin the team when they return back home from their long road trip on June 2. He's spent the weekend in Arizona. They are hoping he'll get a week of rehab games with Triple-A Sacramento before he returns.

That is exciting news for this club.

Despite the addition of Willy Adames in free agency, the resurgence of Mike Yastrzemski and emergence of Wilmer Flores, this team is still middle of the pack in home runs and in the bottom half when it comes to slugging percentage.

Adding Encarnacion to the lineup should help.

The Giants will have to hope his recovery continues to go smoothly and he's back in action towardds the beginning of June.