SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants had the opportunity to shake up their outfield on Thursday evening as San Francisco activated 28-year-old Jarrett Parker from the 60-day disabled list. That shake up, however, didn’t take place.
Parker will make his first start since April 15, the day he crashed into the outfield wall at AT&T Park and broke his clavicle, and his return gives Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy flexibility when writing his lineup card.
Though Parker started in left field at the beginning of the season for the Giants, on his rehab assignment with the Sacramento River Cats, Parker earned starts in center field and he’s capable of playing at all three outfield positions.
With Parker coming back from the disabled list, Bochy could have used Thursday’s game to give Parker an opportunity in center field and shift starter Denard Span, who has struggled defensively this season, to left field.
Instead, though, the Giants will start Parker in left, and keep Span, a career center fielder, at his natural position.
Bochy was asked Thursday if he considered moving Span to left field with Parker now healthy, and he said that he approached Span about the possibility earlier this week.
“We’ve had a discussion just a few days ago,” Bochy said. “It’s hard to do during the season. That’s a pretty good adjustment and players, outfielders will tell you it’s a different look from left field and we’ve had that discussion.”
Though Parker and Gorkys Hernandez are superior defensive options in the middle of the outfield, it doesn’t appear as though Span will begin transitioning to a different spot until Spring Training. While it’s possible Span could see some time in left field this season, Bochy said that a position switch is more likely to take place in 2018.
“I would say more likely if it happens next year, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the offseason but we have talked about it,” Bochy said.
The Giants asked Angel Pagan to move from center field to left field late in his career, and he told Bochy that it was a challenge to move. Though there’s obviously pride involved for a veteran like Span, he’s also so accustomed to playing in center field that the transition would likely be more difficult than it would be for a young center fielder.
“It is, we did it with Angel and Angel he even said it took a whole Spring Training for him to finally feel comfortable out there,” Bochy said.
Even though Parker only recorded 21 at-bats before he suffered his injury, Bochy wouldn’t commit to playing Parker on an everyday basis now that he’s back on the Giants’ 25-man roster.
With a 41-68 record, Bochy said he’ll play all of his outfielders, but admitted that many of his decisions will be performance-driven.
“(Gorkys) Hernandez has been playing really good baseball,” Bochy said. “I’m going to keep playing Span and Pence but he’ll get some starts. Again, this is a performance-related things so hopefully he’s swinging the bat well and forces the issue.”