SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants are expecting to get two big pieces of their lineup back on Thursday.

Manager Gabe Kapler said third baseman Evan Longoria (right oblique strain) and first baseman Brandon Belt (right Achilles tendinitis) remain on track to be activated off the 10-day injured list for Thursday’s series finale against the Padres at Oracle Park.

“We expect that they'll be back,” Kapler said Wednesday. “Obviously, we don't make a definitive statement on that front because so much can happen, but as of right now, that is the expectation.”

The Giants have felt Longoria and Belt’s absence through the first week of the regular season, particularly against right-handed pitching. Each of the Giants’ first three losses came against righty starters, with the club scoring only five runs over 16 1/3 innings against Dustin May, Ross Stripling and Zach Davies. They’ve looked better equipped to handle lefties thus far, as they produced four runs over eight innings against Alex Wood and Julio Urías in their two victories in Los Angeles.

Both Longoria (.789 OPS) and the left-handed-hitting Belt (.819 OPS) have long track records of success against right-handed pitching in the Majors and should add much-needed power to the lineup. Wilmer Flores and Pablo Sandoval have been filling in at the corner infield spots in the interim, but Kapler said he believes the return of Longoria and Belt should also help shore up the Giants’ defense, which committed an MLB-high nine errors through the club’s first five games.

“Adding Longoria back in the mix puts him at his natural position, where he's been fluid and strong for quite some time,” Kapler said. “Brandon Belt is one of the better first basemen out there. He’s really good around the bag, really good at attacking the ball. I think it solidifies our defense and certainly adds to our lineup, particularly against right-handed pitching.”

The Giants tweaked their lineup against Padres right-hander Chris Paddack on Wednesday, starting four more righty bats in Donovan Solano, Hunter Pence, Austin Slater and Chadwick Tromp, who made his Major League debut. Kapler said he is particularly eager to see what Slater, who missed two games with a right hip contusion, can do against righties after drawing three walks in his season debut on Saturday.

“The quality of Slater’s at-bats and dating back to his last game in Los Angeles, he just looked like a really good all-around baseball player, making great defensive plays and having aggressive at-bats,” Kapler said. “I’ve talked to our hitting coaches about this, and they have a lot of confidence in his ability to hit left-handed pitching, right-handed pitching. I think Slater is also good in a platoon. But tonight we wanted to give him an opportunity to go out there against a right-handed pitcher knowing that we have another one tomorrow. We don’t want there to be too long of a layoff.”