Jerar Encarnacion suffered a fracture in his left hand (near his ring finger) eight days ago, and the Giants outfielder underwent surgery on his hand yesterday.  The Giants were holding off a set timeline on Encarnacion’s recovery until the surgery was complete, and the team announced today that Encarnacion will be out of action for eight weeks.  Encarnacion began the season on San Francisco’s 10-day injured list, but given this new information, it seems like the club could move him to the 60-day IL (officially sidelining Encarnacion until at least late May) whenever a 40-man roster spot is needed.

The injury was suffered when Encarnacion dove for a ball in the outfield during a Spring Training game on March 21.  Initially, the injury was described as a jammed finger, and Encarnacion also said he was facing a recovery time of around 4-6 weeks since the issue was a hairline fracture in the ring finger.  However, more tests seemingly revealed more serious damage, leading to an even longer IL stay for the 27-year-old.

Encarnacion made his MLB debut in the form of 23 games and 81 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2022, and he didn’t return to the big leagues until his minor league contract with the Giants was selected to the club’s active roster last August.  In between, Encarnacion’s bat was on fire for much of the 2024 season — first during a stint in the Mexican League, and then with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  That big production got him another look at the Major League level, and Encarnacion then hit .248/.277/.425 with five home runs over his 119 PA in a San Francisco uniform.

While not exceptional numbers, Encarnacion did enough to keep himself on the radar for an increased role in the 2025 lineup.  Until his injury unfortunately spoiled things, Encarnacion was having a strong spring camp, and was projected to be the Giants’ primary DH.  Encarnacion has never been considered a great defensive player, yet he might well have also gotten some playing time as a right-handed hitting complement to lefty swingers Mike Yastrzemski or LaMonte Wade Jr. in right field or at first base.

The Giants have other right-handed depth available, and Encarnacion’s injury most directly opened the door for rookie Christian Koss to make the Opening Day roster.  Wilmer Flores will probably get the majority of DH at-bats until Encarnacion is back, though the Giants could opt to just cycle multiple players through the DH spot to keep everyone fresh.