Giants bring back Grant McCray from Triple-A

McCray’s first at-bat tonight saw him crush a 111.1-mph line drive that turned into a double play. It topped his previous high EV as a major leaguer by 2.2 mph. His next at-bat was the homer, which left the bat at 101.9 mph and was projected at 406 feet. McCray was making just his third start since being recalled July 10, but he’d seem to have a case for more time in center at Drew Gilbert’s expense. He’d also be due a longer look if the Giants sell off multiple hitters at the deadline.

Lee will sit out a second straight contest with right elbow soreness after being hit by a pitch over the weekend. The 27-year-old outfielder isn’t dealing with any structural issues and should be ready to return at some point this week. He’s been a strong fantasy contributor in the batting average department, hitting .302 through 96 games. He’s also chipped in six homers and six steals as well. It’ll be Grant McCray in right field on Monday night in his place.

Giants’ skipper Tony Vitello had hinted last week that Eldridge could open the season at Triple-A so that he could continue playing every day rather than functioning in a platoon role with the Giants, so this doesn’t come as a major surprise. He’ll definitely get a chance with the Giants at some point during the 2026 campaign.

The 24-year-old outfielder has sruggled in his limited chances with the Giants over the past two seasons, slashing a meager .188/.220/.354 with five homers, 11 RBI and a 66/6 K/BB ratio over 151 plate appearances. It’s unlikely that he garners enough playing time down the stretch to gain relevancy for fantasy purposes.

McCray has been jettisoned to the minors after going 2-for-20 in 10 contests since being called up back on August 1. The 24-year-old rookie will get another opportunity at some point, but the club will roll with Luis Matos instead for now.

Trading Mike Yastrzemski and then not giving Matos a real shot is an odd choice. The Giants, though, will probably go with a platoon of Grant McCray and Jerar Encarnacion in right field for now. Matos, 23, has hit .167/.208/.351 in 120 major league plate appearances this season. He’s played less for the Giants this year and last year than he did as a 21-year-old rookie in 2023 (.250/.319/.342 in 253 PA).

With Mike Yastrzemski dealt to the Royals at Thursday’s trade deadline the Giants had an opening for an outfielder on their roster which gives McCray another chance with the big league club. The 24-year-old has hit .260/.338/.430 with 14 long balls, 63 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 468 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. He is not in the team’s starting lineup for Friday night’s battle against the Mets.

McCray and Brett Wisely both get the boot from the roster, so it appears that Luis Matos has won a spot on the bench for the Giants. McCray will likely be up-and-down whenever the Giants need an extra outfielder, although Wisely could be that first name called.

It’s a brutal development for Encarnacion, who was in the midst of a strong spring at the dish before suffering the injury earlier this week during a Cactus League contest while attempting to make a diving catch. He’s facing a multi-week absence, and will undergo additional testing and evaluation this weekend to determine whether surgery is required, according to a team statement. There should be some clarity on his status later this weekend, but fantasy managers should anticipate him remaining on the shelf until at least late April or early May. His absence should result in an uptick in playing time for Luis Matos and Grant McCray, but their fantasy-relevance is limited to extremely deep mixed leagues and NL-only formats.

It’ll be Grant McCray taking over in center field. It sounds like merely a precautionary move, but fantasy managers should monitor Lee’s status in the coming days since back issues can be tricky matters, especially this close to Opening Day.