SACRAMENTO — After suffering a back injury last week in Scottsdale, Jung Hoo Lee returned to the San Francisco Giants’ lineup on Sunday in an exhibition game against the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.
The 26-year-old outfielder was scratched from a spring training game on March 15 and had not played since. Lee’s injury was characterized as back tightness from sleeping wrong.
On Sunday, Lee batted third in the lineup and went 1 for 2 with an RBI double and was walked once in a 4-3 loss to the River Cats at Sutter Health Park.
He knocked in Heliot Ramos from first base in his first at-bat, swinging at the second pitch he saw and doubling on a hit to right center field.
“Playing in today’s game was really important for playing on Opening Day,” Lee said through an interpreter before Sunday’s game. “I wasn’t really worried because I knew that I was preferred to play in today’s game.”
According to Lee, there were no discussions of being the Giants’ designated hitter to ease him back into the lineup.
Giants manager Bob Melvin said that if Lee looks healthy over a trio of exhibition games — including Monday and Tuesday at Oracle Park against the Detroit Tigers — there’s a good chance he will start in the season opener at Cincinnati on Thursday.
“I just want to get him out there and get some at-bats and make sure he’s healthy,” Melvin said. “He was having a good spring up to that point and looked really healthy. … If we can get him three games here in the next three days, I think we’ll be in good shape for him to start the season with us.”
A season-ending shoulder injury kept Lee to just 37 games played last season. Lee told the Bay Area News Group on Friday that he’s never experienced back cramps quite like the ones he had earlier this month.
“Not even (just) for sports players, I feel like normal people when they wake up sometimes, they’re in a bad position for the whole day,” Lee said. “They might wake up with a cramp. I’ve had that before, but it’s never been (as bad) as this. I’ve never had this feeling.”
There will still be an adjustment period for Lee in the coming days. In the fourth inning, he dropped a run-saving catch when he tried to slide and pick the ball from a low angle.
When asked if he needs to hit any personal markers in the next three games, Lee said, “I just want to be as fit as possible and be 100% conditioning-wise. That’s my personal goal going into today’s game.”
Lee signed a six-year, $113 million deal last offseason, joining the Giants from Korea.
Competition for final rotation spot heats up
The battle for the final spot in the pitching rotation has gotten much closer after Sunday night. While Hayden Birdsong came in as the favorite to become the Giants’ fifth starting pitcher, Landen Roupp certainly made things more interesting just four days out from San Francisco’s season opener.
Roupp struck out eight, walked three and gave up just one earned run and a hit in five innings. Birdsong gave up three hits and three runs, recording just one out after relieving Roupp to start the sixth inning.
“I would just sum up (the spring) by being confident,” Roupp said. “I’m confident in my ability to perform and just keep the ball rolling. Whatever happens, happens and I’m looking forward to the outcome.”
The 26-year-old right-hander alum gave up five runs in his last spring training start, but hadn’t allowed an earned run up to that point. With Kyle Harrison being optioned to Sacramento to start the year, the race for the fifth spot in the rotation will be between Roupp and Birdsong.
“It’s tough,” Melvin said. “We got a lot of good young pitching here, so it’s a little bit difficult. We haven’t completely made up our mind on what the roster is going to look like, but I think one of the strengths of the organization right now is the young pitching depth we do have.”
Before Sunday’s game, the Giants also optioned RHP Sean Hjelle, possibly opening a spot in the team’s bullpen. Roupp said while his preference is to be a starter, he wouldn’t mind sliding back into a reliever role.
“I want to be a starter, but I’m just going to go out there and compete either way,” Roupp said.
Jerar Encarnacion update
Outfielder Jerar Encarnacion underwent surgery in Los Angeles to repair his fractured left hand, San Francisco announced on Sunday. A timetable for his return will be determined following tomorrow’s surgery.
Encarnacion hit .302 and had two home runs in 53 spring training at-bats.
Do the A’s play here?
The Athletics will make their debut in Sacramento in eight days, but one wouldn’t know when walking around the concourse at Sutter Health Park.
There were no banners, posters or announcements promoting the team formerly from Oakland anywhere on the field or throughout the concourse.
The only A’s logo found anywhere in the stadium was on a dual schedule poster in the restrooms with the dates of both River Cats and A’s home games throughout the season.
