SAN FRANCISCO — Mitch Haniger and Mike Yastrzemski’s long-awaited returns from the injury list will have to wait at least another day.
The two veteran outfielder’s statuses remained unchanged ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds. But manager Gabe Kapler reiterated pre-game that the two should be available in the coming days.
Haniger (right arm fracture) and Yastrzemski (hamstring) are “looking good, feeling good and in a good spot,” according to Kapler. He said the two are “under consideration” to be recalled over the next few days.
Haniger hasn’t played in a major-league game since his right forearm was broken by an errant fastball June 13, but has been making gradual progress in recent weeks. He had his fifth rehab assignment with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats Sunday, going 0-for-2 with a walk while playing right field.
The Mountain View native signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with his hometown ball club last offseason, but hasn’t been able to contribute much. He played 40 games, posting .230/.281/.372 battling line before his season was derailed by the injury.
Meanwhile, Yastrzemski has been out since the end of July with a left hamstring strain. The 32-year-old, who’s batting .233 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 77 games in his fifth season with the Giants, took live batting practice and ran the bases before Sunday’s 8-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Haniger and Yastrzemski’s returns would help the Giants, who entered Monday having gone 9-14 in August. Yastrzemski is the Giant’s best hitter against right-handed pitchers, and Haniger would provide a veteran presence in the outfield and be another power hitter in the lineup.
A.J. Pollock update
A.J. Pollock continues to deal with oblique pain while hitting and throwing, but Kapler remains optimistic the 35-year-old will be able to contribute to the Giants at some point this season.
“Nothing has changed. Obviously he didn’t have his best moments so far with us, but we have always believed in AJ over the years,” Kapler said. “He’s a guy that’s going to work as hard as anybody to get back and contribute at some point this season and we’re gonna try to give him an opportunity.”
Pollock said it’s been “tough” being out of the lineup as he tends to his oblique strain that has sidelined him since Aug. 9, a little more than a week after the Giants acquired him via a trade with the Seattle Mariners before the deadline.
Pollock still doesn’t have a timeline set for his return to play, but he said he’s felt more explosive running in recent days.
“Every day [I’m] making progress,” Pollock said. “Some days I want more progress than I’m getting but again, just the trajectory with obliques or abdominals is you keep pushing and you see what happens, but it’s been feeling good.
“Don’t know what exactly [the] timelines are but I’m hitting and throwing, so we’ll just keep going and keep building.”
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