Victor Bericoto delivers walkoff homer against A’s

Bericoto sustained the injury during Thursday’s battle against the Rockies. No word yet on how long he’ll be shelved for, but oblique issues are notoriously tricky and can tend to linger if not handled properly. Grant McCray was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take his place on the Giants’ roster on Friday.

Bericoto has a three-game hitting streak, where he has gone 5-for-12 with three RBI and a steal. He has also hit 14-for-37 (.378) with three home runs, six runs scored, and eight RBI in 10 games since becoming a regular starter with Matt Chapman (abs) on the injured list. It would seem like the Giants could find another hitter to give an off day to, but they will start Drew Gilbert in center field with Bericoto on the bench.

Chapman has been able to tolerate the strain, but he aggravated the injury in the sixth inning against the D-backs and was forced to depart. If he needs to go on the IL, the Giants will likely stick Casey Schmitt at third base and give more outfield time to Victor Bericoto and Drew Gilbert.

Ramos, out since May 16 with a quad strain, has gone 7-for-23 with a homer in six minor league games, which is likely two or three more than he would have played in if the Giants were more excited about getting him back. There aren’t going to be enough at-bats to go around with both Ramos and Victor Bericoto on the roster, so sending down Bericoto seems the likely option. Even though he’s one of the Giants’ best hitters, Ramos might just be a part-timer while everyone is healthy. Starting Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Casey Schmitt together in the outfield isn’t something the team will be able to do too often.

Arraez was hurt when he fouled a ball off his foot on Tuesday. His return means Casey Schmitt is shifting back to the outfield. That’d seem like bad news for Victor Bericoto, but since he homered the last two days, the Giants are sacrificing some defense by sitting Drew Gilbert and playing Jung Joo Lee in center tonight.

Adames is out because of lower-half discomfort he felt during last night’s game. As of now, there’s no indication this will be a lengthy absence. Casey Schmitt will start at shortstop with Victor Bericoto in left field, batting eighth, and Jonah Cox in center field, batting ninth.

It turns out Bader isn’t sitting tonight in favor of Drew Gilbert, even if that might have been deserved. He’ll serve his second IL stint of the season after hitting .170/.198/.358 in 30 games to start his Giants career. It’ll likely be Gilbert in center against righties and Victor Bericoto in right against lefties, with Jung Hoo Lee sliding over, while Bader is out.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 24-year-old outfielder. Bericoto was off to a strong start offensively at Triple-A Sacramento, slashing .299/.355/.449 with six homers and 30 RBI in 186 plate appearances. He is not in the Giants’ starting lineup on Friday night but should see action in right field with Jung Hoo Lee (back) sidelined.

Even though we’re nearing the end of spring camp, there weren’t any real surprises among this group of cuts. Basabe, 25, performed well during Cactus League play, hitting .387 (12-for-31) with four RBI and an 8/1 K/BB ratio. He’ll start the year off as extra outfield depth at Triple-A Sacramento.

Encarnacion really messed up on the double play. He hit a grounder down the first base line that he thought was going to go foul, but Freddie Freeman got to it before it could and threw to second base for the first out. Encarnacion never even left the batter’s box on the play and was retired on a lob back to first. It was the kind of thing that could lead to a fringy player getting bumped off the roster. Plus, Victor Bericoto, a natural replacement for Encarnacion, went on to homer later on for the Giants’ only run of the game.