SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants are seeing improvement in left field and center, but they're now dealing with a problem in right.
Hunter Pence is out of the lineup for a third straight game and manager Bruce Bochy said discussions have been had about putting Pence on the DL. Pence had an MRI that confirmed a slight left hamstring strain, and for now he is limited to pinch-hit duty.
"We're talking about his situation," Bochy said. "It looks like it'll be a few days. He's available to pinch-hit but we have to make the call of whether to strictly use him to pinch-hit or to get a healthy body up."
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Bochy indicated he will take the decision out of Pence's hands, because the Giants have learned in the past that Pence is the type to try and play through injuries. If Pence doesn't play Sunday, a DL stint could be back-dated to Friday. The hamstring is not the same one Pence dealt with last season. He missed 48 games and had surgery after tearing a tendon in his right hamstring.
Mac Williamson and Orlando Calixte are the options on the 40-man roster, and that's the list the Giants are currently working with, although there is some intrigue about what Austin Slater can do at this level sometime soon. The Giants would likely lean heavily on Justin Ruggiano, who is 5-for-17 with a homer since getting called up.
"He seems to be healthy," Bochy said. "He seems to be comfortable and he's getting in a groove. He's dangerous."