The San Francisco Giants have made several roster moves on Friday. One of the moves is Jerar Encarnación who will be called up, reports Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. Encarnación, 26, is an outfielder and right-handed hitter who began his season with Oaxaca in the Mexican League, hitting .366/.439/.989 with 19 home runs. When he joined the Giants on a minor league deal, Encarnación dismantled pitchers with his power. Encarnación was hitting .352 with 10 home runs in 125 at-bats for Triple-A Sacramento.
The Giants will also add Mark Canha, whom they acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday’s trade deadline, and Sean Hjelle, who was on the bereavement list. Infielder David Villar, catcher Blake Sabol and outfielder Derek Hill will not be on the roster. Hill was designated for assignment following the roster moves.
#SFGiants roster moves:
• C Blake Sabol & IF David Villar optioned to Triple-A Sac
• OF Derek Hill designated for assignment
• OF Jerar Encarnación selected from Triple-A Sac
• RHP Sean Hjelle reinstated from Bereavement List
• OF Mark Canha activated— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 2, 2024
Giants Call Up Jerar Encarnación
Encarnación didn’t sign with the Miami Marlins until he was 18. He reached the majors in 2022 where his first major league hit was a grand slam but he hit just .182/.210/.338 in 83 plate appearances. Miami put him on waivers last summer and became a minor league free agent at season’s end.
Although he’s primarly an outfielder, Encarnación has over 500 innings of experience at first base. He could be inserted into a very right-handed lineup against Cincinnati Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott on Friday. He also profiles as power threat coming off the bench against left-handed relievers.
The Giants are currently in need of offensive production, sitting in tight spot in the National League Wild Card standings. If Encarnación can replicate his minor league success, he may carve out a larger role in the Giants lineup. San Francisco’s decision to promote Encarnación is an urgent need for power in their offense. For July, the Giants sat near the bottom of the NL with 25 home runs (12th), .231 batting average (14th), .308 on-base percentage (13th) and .406 slugging percentage (12th).
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