SF Giants activate Darin Ruf and Alex Dickerson, option Wade & Vosler

The SF Giants activated corner bats Alex Dickerson and Darin Ruf from the injured list on Monday, opting to cut their rehab stints with the Sacramento River Cats short. While activating them gives manager Gabe Kapler some proven power hitters to deploy in his lineup, it also forced the front office to make some tough roster decisions. In the end, they opted to option Jason Vosler and LaMonte Wade Jr to Triple-A.

Both Wade and Vosler have been productive contributors, especially in the past couple of weeks. Given outfielder Mike Tauchman’s significant struggles at the plate, many expected his roster spot to be more at risk than Vosler or Wade’s. However, while the Giants can option Wade and Vosler without exposing them to waivers, Tauchman would have to be designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster.

The SF Giants have activated Alex Dickerson and Darin Ruf from the injured list.

Wade has appeared in 26 games this season for the Giants, posting a .265/.344/.470 triple-slash with four home runs in 94 plate appearances. Prior to his promotion last month, Wade hit .233/.411/.419 over 13 games at Triple-A. Vosler has played in one more game this season for the Giants than Wade (27) but has received just 58 plate appearances. Primarily used as a pinch hitter and late-game substitute, Vosler has hit three homers and posted a .222/.276/.463 line with San Francisco. He hit .222/.333/.426 in 15 games with the River Cats earlier this season.

Wade and Vosler are both left-handed hitters who have primarily played against righties. Both have seen extended playing time recently due to a combination of injuries and matchups, but the Giants are slated to face just one right-handed starter over the next week. With a slew of southpaws, the front office was inclined to bring Ruf back into the fold, who has been particularly productive against lefties throughout his career. Before hitting the IL, Ruf was hitting .244/.370/.512  with six home runs in 100 plate appearances. Dickerson has not replicated his production from 2019-2020 with the Giants, posting just a .693 OPS thus far in 2021, but has been a key cog in the middle of their lineup over the past few seasons.

LaMonte Wade Jr and Jason Vosler have both earned extended MLB opportunities, but the SF Giants have plenty of depth on the corners. Set to face a slew of left-handed pitchers over the next week, the organization decided to option them to activate Alex Dickerson and Darin Ruf.