Giants place OF Austin Slater on injured list

The Giants announced they’ve placed outfielder Austin Slater on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain. Bryce Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take his spot on the active roster.

It’s a rough break for Slater, who pulled up while running during Wednesday's loss to the Nationals. Slater also lost the first three weeks of the season to a left hamstring strain. It’s been a tough opening to the year for the 30-year-old, who has been limited to just six starts. He’d played well in that limited look, hitting .368/.455/.421 with two stolen bases through 22 trips to the plate.

The right-handed hitting Slater has been a productive role player for San Francisco for a few seasons. He’s now appeared in parts of seven campaigns and set his career high in playing time last year. Slater tallied 325 plate appearances, hitting .264/.366/.408 while starting a little less than half the club’s games in 2022. He’s taken particular advantage of favorable platoon matchups. For his career, Slater is a .291/.381/.473 hitter against left-handed pitching.

Slater’s absences have contributed to the Giants’ struggles against southpaws. San Francisco ranks just 26th in on-base percentage (.294) and 27th in slugging (.362) against left-handed pitching. Johnson adds a switch-hitter to the outfield mix but is more of a speed and defense type than a major offensive threat.