Alex Dickerson has been placed on the 10-day injured list, as the Giants announced that the outfielder is suffering from a right hamstring strain. Mauricio Dubon has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
This is the third time Dickerson has visited the IL this year, with slightly more than the minimum amount of time missed due to an upper-back strain and a right shoulder impingement. The Giants are surely hopeful of another brief absence since the team will want all hands on deck in the battle with the Dodgers for the NL West crown. Considering the timing, however, anything more than a minor strain could threaten to sideline Dickerson for the remainder of the season.
These cumulative injuries could explain Dickerson’s struggles this year, after batting .286/.350/.529 with 16 homers over 360 plate appearances in 2019-20. This year, Dickerson is hitting only .235/.303/.426 with 13 homers in 304 PA, with much less hard contact and dropoffs in both his strikeout and walk rates. After tearing up right-handed pitching in the previous two seasons, the left-handed-hitting Dickerson has managed just a .719 OPS in 278 PA against righties in 2021.
The Giants do have outfield depth to make up for Dickerson’s loss, as Kris Bryant could see more time as a corner outfielder now that Evan Longoria is back from the injured list and ready to assume third base duties. With LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski toggling back and forth between center and right field, the Giants could also shift Wade to left field duty or use Austin Slater or Darin Ruf. The versatile Dubon’s return also adds a bit more infield help considering that Donovan Solano and Wilmer Flores are both still on the IL.
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