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Jerar Encarnacion
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnación underwent surgery on a broken left finger Monday. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks.
The 27-year-old, who batted .302 with two home runs and 14 RBIs for the Giants this spring, suffered a hairline fracture on his left ring finger while attempting a diving catch in a Cactus League game against the Guardians this past Friday. Justice delos Santos, Giants reporter for the Mercury News, confirmed Monday that the injury is to the left ring finger, not the player’s entire hand, as initial reports had speculated.
At 6-foot-5, Encarnación’s physical strength has long captivated scouts and front offices alike, as has his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He hit .248 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 113 at-bats for San Francisco in 2024 after signing as a free agent in May, the kind of low-risk, high-reward gamble this Giants’ front office often tends to make.
His swing-and-miss, all-or-nothing swing likely had him slated for a platoon OF/DH role to start 2025.
He originally signed with the Miami Marlins as an international free agent in September of 2015.
Brady Klopfer of the Giants blog McCovey Chronicles writes that Marco Luciano, David Villar, and Jake Lamb are among the internal candidates who may be utilized in the team’s fourth outfielder/platoon-DH role in Encarnación’s absence.
The team’s outfield starters include Heliot Ramos in left field, Jung Hoo Lee in center field, and Mike Yastrzemski in right.
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