Jung Hoo Lee injury news may open door for young SF Giants outfielder

The SF Giants got some unfortunate news recently about Jung Hoo Lee. He is undergoing an MRI due to a back injury that he has been dealing with for the past few days. This injury could open the door for Grant McCray.

We currently do not know the severity of Lee’s injury, but it is a bit of a troubling sign that he is undergoing an MRI especially when reports suggest the injury occurred while sleeping. One hopes it is not a major injury and he will still be on the Opening Day roster, but the Giants may decide to be cautious and have him open the season on the injured list. Manager Bob Melvin said the results of the MRI should come back Tuesday so we should find out the severity of the injury soon.

Lee injury may create opportunity for young SF Giants outfielders

If Lee is not ready by Opening Day, McCray seems like the most likely candidate to take his place on the roster. McCray is an above average defensive center fielder and the main concern San Francisco will have if Lee is out will be about covering the defense in center field.

The 24-year-old McCray has been openly confident about his defense, saying he feels that opposing teams will have a tough time getting anything past the Giants’ outfield with him out there. 

He also impressed with the bat in his short MLB stint last season, blasting five home runs in 124 at-bats in 2024. He does not make a ton of contact and strikes out a lot, but when he gets on base he is a major threat to steal with his speed.

Another candidate to see time in center field if Lee misses time is Luis Matos. The 23-year-old has been red hot at the plate in spring training and showed that he can get on a tear at the big-league level last year. He may be a bit of a defensive liability in center, but the hope is his play on offense would make up for that. Maybe Melvin would even opt for a platoon of McCray and Matos in center with McCray starting against right-handed pitchers and Matos against lefties.

Of course, one hopes that Lee’s injury gets better and he is ready to go by Opening Day. But if he is not, McCray is going to get an opportunity he otherwise may not have received so we will have to see if he can take advantage of it.