Jerar

Encarnacion

The deal is pending a physical, but the two sides have been circling each other for months now. Bader is coming off one of his best seasons, hitting .277/.347/.449 with 17 homers in 501 plate appearances for the Twins and Phillies. That came with career-bests in barrel rate and hard-hit rate. Bader also remains a strong defender, so he should man center field for the Giants, which would push Jung Hoo Lee to right field, where he would likely be on the strong side of a platoon with Jerar Encarnacion.

Lee has really struggled since a 3-for-4 effort last week, and he’s gone hitless over his last five games. He’ll take a seat with Drew Gilbert playing center and Jerar Encarnacion handling right.

Encarnacion made his presence felt in his return from the injured list, smacking a two-run double off of Kirby Yates in the fifth inning that pulled the Giants to within four runs at 9-5. For the season, he’s now slashing .176/.176/.412 with two homers and four RBI in his first 34 at-bats.

The 27-year-old had been sidelined since early August due to a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. Before being shelved, he was hitting .167 (5-for-30) with two homers and two RBI in his limited action with the Giants. He’ll start in right field and bat seventh against Dodgers’ left-hander Clayton Kershaw on Saturday evening in San Francisco.

Encarnacion is on the IL with a hamstring strain. If he’s able to return, it would likely be as a DH and right fielder against left-handers.

That means the 27-year-old slugger is going to be out for a while. The Giants estimate that he’ll miss four-to-six weeks with the injury and it’s possible if he has any setbacks that he may miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Drew Gilbert was promoted to take his place on the roster on Friday and now he may have some runway to carve out a legitimate role.

The 27-year-old slugger suffered the injury during Wedensday’s game against the Pirates while attempting to beat out an infield single. No word yet on the severity of the strain or how much time he’ll miss. Drew Gilbert was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move on Friday.

Melvin told reporters after the game that it’s “not good,” and that the 27-year-old is currently undergoing imaging. The 6-foot-5 outfielder was just activated off the injured list from a strained oblique, and unfortunately, this sounds like something that will cost him a large portion of the remainder of 2025.

Encarnacion appeared to hurt the hamstring while running out a grounder. He homered earlier in the game, but there’s a good chance the 27-year-old might need to miss at least a game or two. He’ll likely undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury.

Encarnacion missed the first two months with a fractured hand and suffered a strained oblique not long after returning in June, so he’s played in just eight major league games this season. The Giants figure to use him as a right fielder and DH against lefties, though he could hit his way into an expanded role if he thrives.