The SF Giants placed outfielder Austin Slater on the injured list with a left hamstring strain prior to the start of their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. With an opening on the active roster, the Giants recalled speedy outfielder Bryce Johnson from Triple-A Sacramento. Slater left Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Nationals after his hamstring tightened up when he was trying to beat out an infield single.
Johnson saw some playing time while Slater and Mitch Haniger were on the injured list to start the season but was sidelined after he suffered a concussion crashing into the center-field wall at Oracle Park making a catch. While Johnson was out, Slater and Haniger returned and pushed him down the depth chart. The Giants sent Johnson on a rehab assignment before officially optioning him to Triple-A.
During his time in Sacramento, Johnson really impressed our own JD Salazar. In 15 plate appearances at Triple-A, Johnson hit .385/.467/.692 with a double, home run, and three stolen bases. On the other hand, Johnson was just 3-for-20 with 10 strikeouts and a home run during his early-season stint in the majors with the Giants.
This will be Slater's latest stint on the injured list in an incredibly frustrating season for the former Stanford star. On top of the original hamstring strain that kept him out for much of April, he also dealt with an elbow injury during spring training, which was aggravated during his rehab from the first hamstring injury.
The Giants have limited Slater's defensive workload to try and keep him as fresh as possible. Nevertheless, it seems like that caution may have come from a place of rushing him back too quickly. Granted, Slater has been quite productive in the lineup. Entering play on Wednesday, he had a .366/.455/.421 triple-slash in 22 plate appearances with a double, two stolen bases, three walks, and three strikeouts.
With Mike Yastrzemski still on the injured list with a hamstring strain of his own, the SF Giants are without their two best options in center field. When healthy, a platoon of Austin Slater and Yaz has the potential to match the production of nearly every center fielder in MLB. Hopefully, Bryce Johnson can help fill in the gap until they can return to the lineup.
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