How about that homer?! Encarnacion making up for lost time in roster bid

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Giants have a week remaining on their Cactus League slate, but it’s hard to imagine anyone hitting a more impressive home run than the one Jerar Encarnacion crushed on Sunday.

Encarnacion put the Giants on the board in the second inning by demolishing a three-run home run that cleared the trees out in the left-field berm at Scottsdale Stadium. Encarnacion’s blast rocketed off his bat at 115.4 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 463 feet, providing an early jolt in San Francisco’s 7-1 win over the Brewers.

“When I saw the distance, I was like, ‘Well, that one’s gone,’” Encarnacion said in Spanish.

“Oh my goodness, that was amazing,” left-hander Robbie Ray said. “I think it was 115 [mph] at 28 degrees. That’s a homer anywhere. Maybe the Green Monster swallows it, but it might go through it.”

The Giants have known that Encarnacion possesses that type of right-handed pop, but they didn’t get to see much of it in 2025. The 28-year-old outfielder appeared poised to crack San Francisco’s Opening Day roster last year, but he ended up fracturing a finger on his left hand attempting to dive for a ball in the final week of Spring Training.

Encarnacion returned to action in June, but he couldn’t shake the bad injury luck. He made two more trips to the injured list with oblique and hamstring strains, which limited him to just 19 games for the Giants last year.

“It was something I didn't expect, but it was God's will that those things happened,” Encarnacion said. “But now, I'm here, healthy, and trying to do my job just like always.”

Encarnacion tried to recoup some reps by playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic over the offseason, but he struggled to find a consistent rhythm at the plate at the beginning of camp. The 6-foot-4 slugger seems to be heating up at the right time, though, as he’s now batting .302 with a .783 OPS, two home runs and nine RBIs over 18 Cactus League games.

“I think you kind of already knew that Jerar was capable of that,” manager Tony Vitello said. “It was just fun to watch. Anything these guys do, we’ve got to take it into account.”

Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader and Jung Hoo Lee are projected to serve as the Giants’ starting outfielders in 2026, but Encarnacion could get an extended look at designated hitter if the club decides to leave No. 1 prospect Bryce Eldridge off the Opening Day roster. That could give Encarnacion a chance to start against left-hander Max Fried in San Francisco’s season opener against the Yankees on March 25 at Oracle Park.

• How the Giants' Opening Day roster is shaping up

Encarnacion and Luis Matos are both out of options, so the Giants will have to decide whether it makes sense to carry both right-handed-hitting outfielders on their 26-man roster. Matos, 24, is batting .275 with an .816 OPS and two homers over 19 Cactus League games, but he doesn’t offer as much defensive versatility as Encarnacion, who can play first base in addition to the corner outfield positions. Other candidates for backup outfield spots include Will Brennan, Grant McCray and non-roster invitee Jared Oliva, who has 12 stolen bases in 17 games this spring.

“I don’t think about that,” Encarnacion said of the battle for roster spots. “I just come to enjoy the game and do my job every day. The decision is up to them. God has the final say. I’m just going to keep working. It doesn’t matter if I have options or not.”

Worth noting
• Tyler Mahle struck out six and allowed only one hit over four scoreless innings in the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the Padres on Monday at Peoria Stadium. The veteran right-hander has yet to allow a run over 10 innings in his first four Cactus League starts this year.

“Even when he’s had baserunners on, he kind of has the same composure,” Vitello said. “He’s got the ability to pitch. He’s got good stuff, too. I think if you get in any kind of trouble, you’ve got to be able to navigate your way through an at-bat or a situation. He’s got the ability to do that. Pretty complete pitcher."

• Infielder Christian Koss got his first look in center field when he came off the bench to replace Bader in the bottom of the sixth, though he was charged with an error after airmailing a throw to the plate. Koss did not appear in the outfield at all last season; he started one game each in left field and center field in 2024 for Triple-A Sacramento.

• The Giants continued to trim down their roster by reassigning left-hander Nick Margivicius, catcher Logan Porter and infielder Nate Furman to Minor League camp.