With hamstring injury behind him, Bader ready to help Giants

LOS ANGELES -- A nagging left hamstring injury hindered Harrison Bader’s ability to produce at the plate at the beginning of his Giants tenure, but the veteran center fielder is confident he’ll be able to turn it around now that he’s back to full strength.

Bader was activated off the 10-day injured list on Monday after missing 23 games with the hamstring issue, which he suffered during the final week of Spring Training in March.

Bader, 31, tried to play through the malady over the first three weeks of the regular season, but it was clear he was compromised at the plate, as he batted only .115 with a .337 OPS, one home run and 17 strikeouts over his first 15 games. He looked more like himself during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento, though, going 4-for-18 with two homers and three walks over six games.

“It was the sole reason why I couldn't perform,” Bader said of his hamstring injury. “We just addressed it in this time period. I'm excited to be back.

“I feel good. The biggest thing is just being able to move how you want to move in the box. I feel good. I’ve taken a lot of time to get everything right. I'm excited to go out there and help this team win.”

The Giants also recalled right-hander Tristan Beck from Sacramento on Monday, giving them a fresh arm for their beleaguered bullpen, which had to cover 6 1/3 innings in the club’s 7-6, 12-inning win over the Pirates on Sunday. Catcher Logan Porter and right-hander Dylan Smith were optioned in a pair of corresponding moves.

Bader’s return should give the Giants a more serviceable bench moving forward, as they had been carrying only three true outfielders on their 26-man roster after designating Jerar Encarnacion for assignment to clear spots for first baseman Bryce Eldridge and catcher Jesus Rodriguez last week.

Bader is expected to slot back in as the Giants’ regular center fielder, pushing rookie Drew Gilbert into more of a reserve role and freeing him up to come off the bench as a pinch-runner or a late-inning defensive replacement. Gilbert got most of the starts in center while Bader was out, but he also provided below-average production at the plate, batting .231 with a .634 OPS and two homers over 22 games.

Manager Tony Vitello believes the right-handed-hitting Bader and the left-handed-hitting Gilbert “will really complement each other nicely,” though he said the Giants aren’t considering platooning the two outfielders right now.

“I don't think so,” Vitello said. “We'll kind of see how it goes. Obviously, Bader struggled to find himself early in the year because he wasn't himself physically, literally. And then Drew has done well for us in some bright spots, but I think also it’s a very small number of games he's played in his career. We’re still looking to kind of find out what we got with both of those guys. I don't mind saying that.”

The Giants signed Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million deal over the offseason to upgrade their outfield defense and add some right-handed pop to their lineup, so they’re hoping he can provide a spark and help get them back on track following their disappointing 16-24 start.

“I'm just excited to be up here and play baseball,” Bader said. "It’s been a weird start, so I'm excited to have a fresh slate, if you will, and go out there and help the team win.”