SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A promising spring for Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnacion came to an end on Friday when he landed on his glove hand during a diving catch attempt late in a game against the Guardians. Now, it’s looking like he will miss an extended period of time to begin the season.
MRI testing revealed a hairline fracture in Encarnacion’s left hand, around the knuckle on his ring finger.
“He was putting himself in the position of getting quite a few at-bats, and rightly so,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Based on what we saw last year and based on what we saw in the spring, there's a lot to like. Power dynamic, play the infield a little bit at first, play the outfield, DH. Sometimes it's tough for guys to DH, and he's good at it, so this stings some.
“And I feel bad for him, because the road that he's taken to get to the big leagues, this is probably going to be as good an opportunity as he's ever had.”
Encarnacion said he expects to miss four to five weeks, but Melvin said he hasn’t been given a timetable and didn’t rule out the possibility of surgery, saying “anything is on the table.”
The 27-year-old was on track to be one of the regulars at designated hitter. Wilmer Flores and Luis Matos are two players who could possibly step in more at DH in Encarnacion’s absence. There’s also now an open roster spot that the Giants can use to carry an extra hitter while Encarnacion is on the IL. The likely fits there would be Grant McCray, David Villar or Jake Lamb.
McCray and Lamb are both lefties who batted in the upper .200s this spring. Lamb’s average (.273 in 33 at-bats) was slightly higher, although McCray (.250 in 44 at-bats) has the advantage of speed. McCray can also play center field in the event that Jung Hoo Lee continues to miss time with back tightness.
It’s a tough break for Encarnacion, who batted .302 with two home runs and an .856 OPS this spring, but he seemed to be in good spirits ahead of his recovery.
“I don’t feel disappointed, I feel confident in God. This was his plan,” he said in Spanish. “So the only thing I can do is just continue to wait. I know that I can do the job when the time comes. But I don’t feel discouraged at all.”
Encarnacion will travel to San Francisco to begin his rehab and undergo further testing. He remains confident that he can stay ready so that when he does come back, he can be every bit the player he knows he can be.
“It’s just one finger. I can keep using my other hand, my legs, my whole body. … So just continue the conditioning to be ready.”
