Jerar Encarnacion finished 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in the Giants’ 7-5 defeat of the Rangers on Saturday.
There’s no do or die on March 7, but Encarnacion needed this after entering the day 4-for-23 with no extra-base hits or walks. Both Encarnacion and Luis Matos are out of options, and it doesn’t seem like the Giants necessarily need both, as Bryce Eldridge is the only lefty they’re likely to platoon. Encarnacion is probably the more useful player now, but he’s had a hard time staying healthy, and Matos, at age 24, still has the potential to grow into a regular. Encarnacion would be the more likely of the two to clear waivers if the team tries to send him down.