The San Francisco Giants activated outfielder/DH Joc Pederson from the 10-day injured list, with Heliot Ramos optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Pederson was expected to return on Sunday and ended up missing only one day beyond the minimum stay on the IL.
Inflammation of the right wrist was the culprit for this relatively brief absence. Pederson will now return to the lineup and hope to build on a quality start to the season, as the slugger was slashing .242/.350/.545 with two homers over his first 40 plate appearances of the young campaign.
The Giants have been using Pederson exclusively as a designated hitter, and he figures to see the bulk of his at-bats at DH over the remainder of the season -- with a few looks as a corner outfielder and perhaps at first base as circumstances dictate. Darin Ruf and Michael Conforto have been receiving the majority of time at DH in Pederson’s absence, but they will likely return to first base and outfield duties, respectively, now that he is ready to return to the fold. The Giants are prone to mixing and matching even their regular starters based on pitching matchups, though, meaning that a right-handed batter like Ruf is probably likely to spell a left-handed bat like Pederson or Conforto if a southpaw is on the mound.
This is Pederson’s second year in San Francisco after the veteran hit .274/.353/.521 with 23 homers over 433 PA in 2022. Pederson could have been a free agent over the winter, but instead opted for the one-year windfall of a qualifying offer from the Giants, which locked in a $19.65M salary for the 2023 season.
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