Power-hitting bat's role with the SF Giants has seemingly disappeared overnight

There was a lot of hype when Jerar Encarnación was nearing a return from a rehab assignment for the SF Giants. He has been back for almost a week, but his role with the club has seemingly disappeared overnight.

Power-hitting bat's role with the SF Giants has seemingly disappeared overnight

With LaMonte Wade Jr. struggling offensively, it looked like Encarnación was poised to assume a lot of playing time at first base upon his return. The right-handed bat flashed plenty of raw power in his first season with San Francisco last year.

There were plenty of wrinkles in Encarnación's profile, too. His strikeout rate was relatively high at 28.6 percent, putting pressure on his bat to hit with a lot of power. When hitters strike out at such a high rate, they need to offset that with above-average power.

Plus, Encarnación chased out of the zone too much, leading to a very low 4.2 percent walk rate. Not surprisingly, he posted a .277 on-base percentage in 119 plate appearances last year. There were just four qualified hitters with a worse mark than that in 2024, and most of them played a premium position like shortstop.

Lastly, the 27-year-old's bat path resulted in too many ground balls. This did not allow his raw power to play up, so he made a lot of loud contact, but much of it was on the ground. This was a problem last season and continued through spring training and his rehab assignment.

Nevertheless, the Giants needed to try something new. With Encarnación nearing a return, it looked like he would be one of the top options at first base. However, the Giants added veteran bat Dominic Smith in a roster shakeup. Smith and Encarnación both play first base, but the former has more of a reliable track record.

With the addition of Daniel Johnson, the playing time in the outfield has dried up, too. Of course, Encarnación could see time at DH, but Wilmer Flores has been one of the Giants' best run producers, especially with runners in scoring position.

Since returning from the injured list, Encarnación has collected one hit in 11 at-bats. He does not have much of a track record and is limited defensively, so he might not get a long leash at all. It is a mildly surprising turn of events for Encarnación, as his role with the club has almost seemingly disappeared.