The Giants announced this evening that they have placed quarterbacks Thairo Estrada again Wilmer Flores on the 10-day injured list. Estrada was shelved with a left wrist sprain and was later sidelined with knee tendonitis. In the same matches, the club called up a midfielder Tyler Fitzgerald and first baseman Lamonte Wade Jr. on the 10-day injured list.
It's been a rough year at the plate for both Estrada and Flores, who both posted below-average offensive numbers after being among the club's most productive players last year. On the heels of a 3.6 fWAR season in which he posted good defensive metrics and a 101 wRC+, Estrada hit just .231/.264/.376 in 311 trips to the plate this year despite nearly identical numbers for his 2023 campaign. . While his .259 batting average on balls in play may seem like a clear indication that a nice decline may be on the way for the 28-year-old, it's important to note that the infielder . 270.
As for Flores, the 32-year-old was coming off a great 2023 campaign in an unusual role with the team last year where he slashed .284/.355/.509 (136 wRC+) in 454 trips to the plate while splitting time between first base, second base , and the third and DH slot. Flores found himself in a similar role at this point in the Blacks' season, even though he appeared to play the starting position almost as long as Wade was on the shelf. Flores' plate numbers are still good, as he's walked at an 8.8% clip while striking out 13.2% of the time, but he seems completely out of control. After knocking in 23 runs last year, he has hit just four runs in 227 this season as his barrel rate has dropped from 7.8% to just 5.7% this year.
It's not yet clear how long either player will be out, but being on the shelf should give both veterans a chance to rehabilitate before the second half, when both and the Giants hope for better results. Wade's activation in the IL makes him a clean replacement for Flores at first, although it is difficult for the club to replace Estrada.
Brett Wisely again Nick Ahmed he's been working as a platoon tandem at shortstop while Estrada handles the keystone every day, but with Fitzgerald entering the mix it's unclear how that playing time will shake out. The 26-year-old has hit .273/.333/.409 in 28 games with the Giants so far, but has 106 plate appearances under his belt since his big league debut last season. . It appears that Ahmed could see an increase in playing time at shortstop as Wise starts at second base, while Fitzgerald could blend into both positions in addition to the outfield and first base in a relief role.
Tonight's news isn't entirely bleak for the Giants, as they will be happy to have Wade back in the starting lineup. The 30-year-old has been on the shelf since late May with a strained hamstring but was among the best hitters in baseball this year when he was injured. He'll return to the starting lineup with a nice line of .333/.470/.426 (166 wRC+) that makes up for the lack of power to go along with a shocking 19.9% walk rate. If Wade can play at anything close to that level going forward this season, he will give a huge shot in the arm to a Giants offense that has ranked just 20th in the majors with a 97 wRC+ since Wade was shelved. .
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