SF Giants place Jorge Soler on injured list, recall hot-hitting outfielder

Heliot Ramos may finally get the extended look many SF Giants have wanted to see for a couple of years now. On Wednesday, he was recalled with Jorge Soler landing on the injured list due to a shoulder strain, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants place Jorge Soler on injured list, recall hot-hitting outfielder

Soler had missed the last several games due to the strain. The Giants were hoping that Soler would avoid the injured list, but the shoulder ailment had not improved with the extra time off.

The power-hitting DH is in the first year of a three-year deal that he signed back in February. The first impression is mostly neutral as he has registered a .202/.294/.361 (94 wRC+) with five home runs, eight RBI, and 14 runs in 136 plate appearances.

These are not bad results, but the Giants are hoping to get more offense from a player whose primary position is DH. Plus, Soler has tallied just three hits in 26 at-bats with runners in scoring position, so he has struggled in clutch spots as well. There is still plenty of time to turn it around.

Ramos will be taking his place on the roster. The former first-round pick has exhausted his final option year after spending the first month of the year in Triple-A. He will be out of options next season, so the Giants should be motivated to see what he can do.

The 23-year-old outfielder is off to a scorching start with Sacramento, posting a .296/.388/.565 line (133 wRC+) with eight home runs, 21 RBI, and 23 runs in 134 plate appearances. This includes an 11.9 percent walk rate, 27.6 percent strikeout rate, and a .270 ISO.

Ramos has appeared in parts of four seasons in the Pacific Coast League, but his performance has started to take off over the past year. With numbers like these, it has become difficult to ignore and he has forced his way back onto the Giants' roster.

The right-handed bat has struggled to the tune of a .470 OPS in 82 sporadic at-bats over the past two seasons with San Francisco. Whether he is up for a couple of days, a week, or longer than that, this is Ramos' time to show what he can do. The Giants lineup has struggled to start the year, so there should be at-bats to go around for the young outfielder.

Plus, the Giants will see a couple of southpaw pitchers in the Cincinnati Reds series coming up next. That should be a chance for Ramos to stay in the lineup for a couple of games in a row. If he performs, he could remain on the roster even when Jorge Soler returns.