SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants’ pivot to a big season joined a large group of teammates on the IL.
San Francisco placed Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-day IL on Monday, a day after he dislocated his shoulder when he collided with the center field fence at Oracle Park. Lee will meet with the team’s orthopedic physician, Dr. Ken Akizuki, on Monday and the Giants will have a better idea of his rehab options and timeline after that, but it is expected to be a long absence.
Manager Bob Melvin said he spoke with Lee on Sunday, and the outfielder was disappointed. Melvin had hoped to avoid surgery but said he could not provide more details.
“He really cares about the team and wants to be there for his team, so he’s disappointed,” Melvin said. “There’s not much he can do about it. You make an all-out play to catch the ball in the first half, and if you make that play, it’s a big momentum swing, and now all of a sudden our quarterback is down.”
“We had to recover from that a little bit [Sunday]But I’m sure he feels that way now. He wants to be there for his team.”
Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract in December, the largest contract the franchise has ever given to a free agent player. Primarily a hitter, he played in 37 of 42 games, batting .262 with a .641 OPS and two homers. He has a wRC+ of 89, which puts him 11 points below the league average, but the Giants saw the overall numbers contain some bad luck, as Lee’s projected batting average — based on quality of contact — is 22 points higher than his counterpart. An actual one.
The Giants could fill the void at the top of the lineup by moving LaMonte Wade Jr. To that spot when others return, but they will have a hard time replacing Lee in midfield. Advanced metrics have him ranked around league average, but he’s getting good hops and the staff is confident he’ll be a plus defender in the middle once he gets more accustomed to MLB pitches and elements.
Tyler Fitzgerald took over at center field once Lee was injured on Sunday, but Luis Matos was in the lineup Monday and Melvin said Matos “is going to have a good shot out there” for now. Mike Yastrzemski can also slide as needed.
The Giants have lost three players — Austin Slater, Michael Conforto and Lee — over the past three games, though plenty of options remain out of the bullpen. Heliot Ramos will assume a day-to-day role. Blake Sabol, Brett Wisely, and Wade could also play the outfield, though the preference would be to leave Wade as the starter.
No matter how they slice it, Lee’s absence will be felt. The Giants were drawn to him in part because they strongly believed in his ability to play center, which would move others to the corners, but they no longer have that advantage.
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