SAN FRANCISCO -- Heliot Ramos was activated off the 10-day injured list prior to Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Braves at Oracle Park, but he didn’t immediately slot back into the outfield for the Giants.
Ramos, who returned after missing 37 games with a right quad strain, served as the designated hitter against Atlanta ace Chris Sale, giving rookie Bryce Eldridge a day off against a tough lefty. The Giants originally had Casey Schmitt slated to play left field, but he was a late scratch due to illness. That prompted the club to deploy Victor Bericoto in left field, Jonah Cox in center and Jung Hoo Lee in right.
Ramos went 9-for-26 (.346) over seven rehab games for Triple-A Sacramento, but the Giants wanted to ease him back into action, which played into the decision to have him DH in his first game since May 15. The 26-year-old batted .267 with a .731 OPS, four home runs and 20 RBIs over 44 games before landing on the IL. He was particularly effective against lefties, hitting .308 with an .895 OPS over 42 plate appearances this year.
“It’s good to have him in the locker room and in the dugout because he’s always full of energy,” manager Tony Vitello said. “The guys love him. He’s competitive, too. He’s watching the game and he’s into it, seeing different things. But it’s way better to have him out on the field.
“I think he’s done plenty of damage against right-handed pitchers this year and in prior years. But in the Giants’ organization alone, he’s been one of the best guys against lefties. It’s good to have a threat in there against the arm we see.”
Buddy Kennedy was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 26-man roster for Ramos, leaving the Giants a bit short on backup infielders. Still, Kennedy hadn’t appeared in a game since June 10, as San Francisco’s four starting infielders -- third baseman Matt Chapman, shortstop Willy Adames, second baseman Luis Arraez and first baseman Rafael Devers -- play every day. The Giants will also have Schmitt available to fill in on the dirt if needed.
Schmitt got most of his starts at DH early in the season, but he started learning left field when Ramos landed on the IL, and he has settled in nicely at the position. That opened up the DH spot for Eldridge, who responded by batting .279 with an .860 OPS and six home runs over his first 41 games for the Giants this year.
While the Giants opted to sit Eldridge against Sale on Sunday, Vitello said the club plans to prioritize keeping the 21-year-old slugger in their lineup “to an extent.”
“Most guys are going to get a day off here and there, and there are some matchups,” Vitello said. “The other thing, too, is we don’t have a crystal ball as a group, but all we do is talk and try to get a little bit of a read for what a guy’s thermostat is at. When you play as many games as we do, there’s going to be hot streaks, cold streaks and in between.
“[Eldridge is] a threat, there’s no doubt about that. Where he’s really solidified himself is in an area that I don’t know that anybody could’ve predicted this quickly is getting on base via the walk. Against righties, it’s not one-to-one, but it’s pretty close with the walks and strikeouts. So even on a day where he’s not seeing it as great, or he hits a ball hard but it’s right at somebody, he can always get on base.”
Schmitt is expected to remain in left field when he’s healthy, so the Giants will likely shift Lee to center and deploy Ramos in right until Harrison Bader (left plantar fasciitis) is ready to return from the IL.
Lee didn’t grade out well defensively in center field last year, which compelled the Giants to sign Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million deal over the offseason. But Vitello said he believes Lee will be able to fill in capably at the spot for the time being.
“He’s about as flexible as it gets with that, and I think he feels confident in both [outfield] spots,” Vitello said.