The clock is ticking for power-hitting bat as rehab assignment drags on

SF Giants power-hitting bat Jerar Encarnación began a rehab assignment on July 14. That assignment has consisted of eight games and 31 plate appearances. The clock is ticking before the Giants need to make a decision.

The clock is ticking for power-hitting bat as rehab assignment drags on

The maximum length for rehab assignments for non-pitchers is 20 days, meaning that Encarnación is halfway through that limit. The player and team can agree to extend that, but generally, that is done is done for players coming off significant injuries.

Encarnación suffered an oblique strain on June 17 and has been on the injured list since then. Normally, players who miss about a month of game action need about a handful of games for a rehab assignment.

However, Encarnación's rehab assignment is longer than usual, likely because there is no spot for him at the moment. When he returned from the injured list in June, he rejoined a Giants team that just added veteran first baseman Dominic Smith. His playing time at first base disappeared nearly overnight.

That role has only gotten cloudier with the addition of Rafael Devers. Encarnación does have experience in the outfield, but there is not a lot of playing time out there either. Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, and Mike Yastrzemski have served as the primary outfielders. All three bring something to the table, whether it is Ramos' above-average power or Lee and Yastrzemski's competent defense in a tough outfield.

With Devers seeing more time at first base, Wilmer Flores has shifted back to the team's primary DH. Smith could see time there with a tough right-handed pitcher on the mound.

This puts Encarnación in a tough spot. All of the ways in which he can make it into the lineup are blocked. The Giants are likely dragging this rehab assignment out intentionally. There is no clear role for the right-handed bat.

That said, injuries are part of the game. If a first baseman, outfielder, or DH goes down, then it opens the door for Encarnación to be added back to the roster. However, he now has less than 10 days left on his rehab assignment, so there is not much time for that to happen. At that point, the Giants will need to decide whether they want to add him back to the roster or place him on waivers.