The Giants have placed outfielders Harrison Bader and Jared Oliva on the 10-day injured list, per a club announcement. The former is dealing with a hamstring strain, while the latter was diagnosed with a hamate fracture, likely pointing to a somewhat notable absence. Bader’s IL placement is retroactive to April 12. Fellow outfielders Will Brennan and Drew Gilbert have been recalled from Triple-A in their place.
Bader, 31, has gotten out to a dismal start in his new environs. Signed to a two-year, $20.5MM contract in free agency, he’s started his Giants tenure with a .115/.145/.192 batting line and a glaring 30.9% strikeout rate in 55 turns at the plate. The longtime defensive standout had one of his best seasons at the plate in 2025, slashing a combined .277/.347/.449 with a career-best 17 homers in 501 plate appearances between Minnesota and Philadelphia.
It’s obviously a bit early to sound the alarm, but it’s a brutal stretch of 15 games for Bader, who hasn’t experienced strikeout troubles of this magnitude since 2018 with the Cardinals. Bader’s chase rate on balls off the plate is up six percentage points this year, while his contact rate on balls within the strike zone is down more than three percentage points. He’s been extremely aggressive early in his plate appearances and has too often found himself behind in the count as a result.
The Giants haven’t provided a firm timetable, but Bader will be down for the next week-plus at the very least. If it’s a lengthy enough stay on the IL, he could require a minor league rehab stint. For the time being, San Francisco can either slide Jung Hoo Lee back to center field or give some of that workload to Gilbert and Brennan. Lee hasn’t graded out well in his time as a center fielder in the majors — which was surely part of the Giants’ motivation in signing Bader, who perennially ranks as one of the game’s top outfield defenders. Gilbert has played all three outfield slots in Triple-A this season, spending the bulk of his time in center. Brennan has played the corners only in 2026 but has nearly 1800 professional innings in center.
As for the 30-year-old Oliva, this is his first big league action since 2021 with the Pirates. He’s appeared in seven games but been primarily a defensive replacement and pinch-runner. He’s had seven at-bats and tallied one single in that time.
Oliva impressed the Giants with plus speed and outfield range in camp this spring. In 20 games/46 plate appearances, he swiped a ludicrous 14 bags while also turning in a robust .375/.444/.550 batting line. That was more than enough for Oliva to earn a spot on the roster, even pushing out-of-options former top prospect Luis Matos out the door in the process.
Hamate fractures typically require surgery and come with a recovery period between four and eight weeks. Every instance is different, of course, but that general framework is at least worth noting. It’s doubtful Oliva will be back any earlier than mid-May, and his absence could push into early-to-mid June. Assuming Bader returns to the fold before Oliva, Gilbert stands as a natural option to fill the backup outfield role that Oliva has held throughout the season.
