LaMonte

Wade Jr.

Wade Jr. drove in all four runs for the Giants on Wednesday as they fell to the D-Backs. He took Kevin Ginkel deep for a two-run shot in the seventh to break the shutout, then added two more runs on a single in the ninth before San Francisco’s comeback efforts fell short. The 30-year-old first baseman is hitting. 267/.398/.385 with six homers, 40 runs scored, and 27 RBI across 335 plate appearances.

With the Giants facing a left-handed pitcher, they will turn to a more right-handed starting lineup. Wisely and Wade Jr. are in pretty strict strong-side platoon roles, but Conforto has started occasionally against left-handed pitching, so this may also be a simple day off for the 31-year-old. In their places, Mark Canha will start at first base, Casey Schmitt will start at second base, and Jerar Encarnacion will start in left field.

Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Wade Jr. is battling some lingering “hamstring tightness” so the team will go with Wilmer Flores at first base. Melvin believes that Wade Jr. could be back against the Twins, but the team will simply manage his hamstring tightness before he gets four days off over the All-Star break.

As expected, the 30-year-old slugger will return to start at first base and bat second on Friday night against Landon Knack and the Dodgers. Prior to landing on the injured list in late May with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Wade had been hitting .333/.470/.426 with a pair of homers, 17 RBI and one stolen base through his first 166 plate appearances.

The veteran was placed on the IL at the end of May and will have missed about four weeks. Wade has a tremendous on-base percentage and will return to an everyday role against right-handed pitching. That will send David Villar back to the bench.

Wade, coming back from a hamstring strain, is expected to play for the River Cats again today before the Giants decided whether to activate him from the injured list.

Wade has been aiming to play in the contest, but his strained left hamstring isn’t quite ready yet. The Giants have been getting by with Wilmer Flores and Trenton Brooks at first base. Brooks will most likely be demoted once Wade is ready.

Wade is hoping to rejoin the Giants lineup in time for next Thursday’s game in Birmingham, though that might be aggressive. He was expected to miss about four weeks after getting hurt May 27.

Wade has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain and is expected to miss roughly four weeks after suffering the ailment during Monday’s contest against the Phillies. The 30-year-old on-base machine, who leads the majors with a .470 on-base percentage this season, hurt his hamstring initially last Friday while stretching to grab Matt Chapman’s game-saving throw against the Mets. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back until sometime in late June.

Expectations are that Wade will go on the injured list. That’ll probably make Wilmer Flores the Giants’ primary first baseman for at least a couple of weeks. Tyler Fitzgerald or David Villar are candidates to join the Giants in his place.