Harrison Bader may be in trouble with SF Giants when he returns from IL

The SF Giants placed starting outfielder Harrison Bader on the IL last week with a hamstring issue. The Giants recalled Drew Gilbert and after the young spark plug’s hot start, Bader may find himself having to fight for playing time when he returns from his injury.

The Giants signed Bader thinking he would be their everyday center fielder. He’s a veteran with a ton of experience and even though he is not known for being all that strong at the plate, his stellar defense in center field usually makes up for the cold stretches offensively.

But Bader was really cold to begin the season before he went on the IL. In 52 at-bats he slashed .115/.145/.192 with one homer and three runs batted in. Part of those struggles may have had to do with the hamstring injury since he seemed to tweak it late in spring training, so perhaps the IL stint will allow him to get healthy and come back strong.

Gilbert will be tough to take out of the lineup when Bader returns

But his spot in the lineup may not be there waiting for him whenever he gets off the IL. Gilbert has played quite well since being called up, hitting .313/.389/.500 with one home run and two runs batted in. He’s also flashing the impressive defense he displayed last season. He’s handled center field really well and made some nice plays in Washington DC over the weekend.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Drew Gilbert if he wasn’t doing something kind of weird so his pickle headband and faux sparring with manager Tony Vitello in the dugout is very much on brand for the 25-year-old. It’s likely not a coincidence that the team has played with a little more spunk and fire since he got called up.

The question with Gilbert, and really the reason the Giants went out and got Bader, is how well he can hit. The defense and energy are never in question, but his bat was not all that solid last season as he hit .190/.248/.350 with three homers and 13 runs driven in.

Maybe this is the year he takes a step forward and shows that he can handle big league pitching. That would be a huge development for a team that has really struggled to get much production out of its outfielders thus far.

Don’t expect Bader to be put solely on the bench when he comes back, though. He is a veteran and has earned the opportunity to work through his struggles. But it wouldn’t be a huge shock if the Giants end up with something of a platoon in center field at some point with Bader starting or pinch hitting against lefties and Gilbert starting against righties.

San Francisco did sign Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million deal in the offseason so they aren’t just going to cut bait or bench him unless things get really bad. But maybe Gilbert’s hot start will be a good thing and motivate Bader to look like the guy who had a career year at the plate in 2025.