Harrison Bader's injury could open the door for speedy SF Giants outfielder

The SF Giants are gearing up for Opening Night and they got a bit of concerning news on Harrison Bader, the guy they were counting on to be their starting center fielder. He has a tight hamstring and is considered day to day which could open the door for the speedster Jared Oliva to make the team.

There’s a chance the Giants are just trying to be really cautious with Bader and he’ll be good to go by Wednesday, but he does have an injury history and if he is at less than full health it would be a bit risky to have him out there which could potentially lead him to aggravate the injury.

Bader’s injury opens the door for Jared Oliva

Bader has looked good for the Giants in spring training. He has six hits in 19 at-bats including a home run and two doubles. He was away from camp for a bit competing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic where he had three hits and 14 at-bats including a home run and made some nice defensive plays, something he is known for.

It would not be an ideal situation, but maybe the Giants would put Bader on the IL to start the season just to make sure he’s healthy. If they opted to do that, Oliva would make the most sense to replace Bader on the roster.

Not much fanfare was made when the Giants signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason, but he has been one of the most impressive standouts in camp so far. The Santa Clarita native has 13 hits in 37 at-bats and has a whopping 14 steals in Cactus League play. The Giants have not had a stolen base threat like that in seemingly forever so to have him on the team would give them a unique weapon on the bases.

He can play all three outfield positions and his speed should allow him to handle center field at Oracle Park which requires covering a lot of ground. The one thing that is a bit concerning is he has not played in a regular season MLB game since 2021 so he could be a bit overwhelmed going from being a non-roster guy to potentially being in the Opening Night lineup against the New York Yankees.

Maybe he won’t have to worry about it though. Bader’s hamstring may end up being just fine and he’ll be able to be out there for the Giants.

Either way, it would not be a shock if we see Oliva at some point this season. He’s impressed so much in Arizona and if he starts the year in the minors and keeps on doing the things he’s done in spring training, it’s only a matter of time before he gets called up to the big league club.

It’s not time to tear up your Opening Night roster projection just yet, but the Bader news is worth monitoring since it could definitely have a big impact on Oliva.