Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr. Sitting On Saturday
San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon as the Giants will face left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo. Instead, Luis Matos will enter the outfield and bat sixth, and Wilmer Flores will shift to first base. This opens up the designated hitter spot for Casey Schmitt. Yastrzemski did not see many opportunities against southpaws last season, either. Across 140 total games, Yastrzemski posted a .231/.302/.437 slash line with 16 doubles and 18 round-trippers. Wade also saw limited opportunities against southpaws last season but was productive in his limited stint, as he slashed a .324/.429/.412 line across 43 plate appearances. Both Flores and Matos are worth a look in DFS while facing Lodolo, who held a 4.76 ERA in 2024.
LaMonte Wade Jr. To Hit Leadoff Against Right-Handed Pitching
San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is expected to be the leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching to begin the season. Wade lacks the speed of the usual leadoff hitter, but makes up for it by drawing walks. Wade is hitting below .220 this spring, but he also has 10 walks, which does help make up for his lack of a batting average and lackluster speed. The 31-year-old would likely see a boost in fantasy value with the move to the top of the lineup. The leadoff hitter usually gets more at-bats and sometimes better pitches to hit because pitchers don't want to walk the first batter before getting to the two or three hole hitter.
Jung Hoo Lee Could Hit Third, LaMonte Wade Jr. At Leadoff?
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said that the team is toying with the idea of using outfielder Jung Hoo Lee in the third spot in the batting order in 2025 as he returns from a season-ending shoulder injury. First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is also healthy, and the Giants like his on-base skills at the top of the order in the leadoff spot. So as things stand at the beginning of spring training, it looks like Wade will lead off, followed by new shortstop Willy Adames, Lee, third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Heliot Ramos in the top half of the order. Lee played in only 37 games in his first year with San Fran in 2023, and while he made plenty of contact, his superior on-base skills from Japan didn't transfer over. A move down the order slightly would mean fewer runs scored but also give him more chances to drive in runs. Lee hit the ball hard in his small sample size last year, so more power could be coming in 2025.
LaMonte Wade Jr. And Matt Chapman Each Homer Twice Saturday
First baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. and third baseman Matt Chapman each homered twice in the San Francisco Giants' 9-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The homers were the seventh and eighth for Wade Jr. and the 25th and 26th for Chapman. Both players knocked in two runs each. On the season, Wade Jr. is hitting .267 with eight home runs, 33 RBI, two stolen bases, and 44 runs scored. Chapman, who just signed a long-term extension to stay with the team, is hitting .249 with 26 home runs, 75 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and 95 runs scored. Wade Jr. and Chapman should be key components for the Giants next season.
LaMonte Wade Jr., Brett Wisely Out Against A Lefty
San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and infielder Brett Wisely are both sitting on Monday against the hosting Washington Nationals with left-hander Patrick Corbin on the mound. Mark Canha will play first base and hit second, while Casey Schmitt will start at the keystone and bat in the five-hole against Corbin. Wade is actually hitting .450 against lefties this year, but he's only had 27 plate appearances against them. The 30-year-old lefty has hit a strong .294 (60-for-204) but with limited counting stats (four homers, 20 RBI) for fantasy managers. Out of the two-hole, Canha makes for an intriguing DFS sleeper on Monday against Corbin, who he is hitting .462 against with a 1.115 OPS, a homer and two RBI against in 26 career at-bats. Schmitt has faced Corbin three times and has a solo home run.
LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto Out Against Lefty
San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and outfielder Michael Conforto are both starting on the bench for Thursday's series finale against the hosting division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers with left-hander Clayton Kershaw making his 2024 debut. David Villar will get the nod at first base and will hit sixth, while Derek Hill will draw into the lineup in left field and will bat in the nine-hole for the Giants against Kershaw. Villard does have a homer and two RBI in nine career at-bats against Kershaw but is also hitting .111 against him with a .555 OPS. Wade is hitting nearly .300 in 188 at-bats for the Gigantes this year but has missed time with injury and has provided fantasy managers with just three homers and 19 RBI. Conforto has actually fared better against lefties in 2024 but overall has been a below-average hitter, slashing .224/.296/.410 with 10 homers and 39 RBI in 268 at-bats.
Michael Conforto, LaMonte Wade Jr. Sitting Vs. Lefty
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto and first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. will be out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies have left-hander Kyle Freeland taking the hill, who has been excellent over his last four starts (1.71 ERA in 26 1/3 innings). Conforto went 0-4 Friday night and will presumably be available off the bench if needed. In his career against Freeland, Conforto only has two singles in eight at-bats, with no home runs, walks, or RBI). Although Conforto has been solid this season versus lefties, hitting .276 with three HR and 10 RBI, the Giants seem content with giving him a breather tonight, but we expect him to be all-systems-go for the series finale on Sunday. Wade went 1-for-5 with a double in Friday's game and is slashing .308/.433/.419 with three home runs and 19 RBI over 65 games. Wilmer Flores is starting at first base and batting fifth while Wade gets a breather.
San Francisco Giants first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. is getting a breather in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. With Wade starting on the bench, veteran Wilmer Flores will get the start at first base and will bat seventh for the Giants against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. Flores has hit .429 with a .929 OPS in seven career at-bats versus Gausman, although he'll still be a pretty bland DFS sleeper option near the bottom of the order in a tough matchup. The 32-year-old Venezuelan is hitting just .207 (42-for-203) this year with four homers and 25 RBI in a part-time role. Since returning from the injured list on June 28, Wade has hit .241 (7-for-29) with a homer, two doubles and an RBI. He's hitting over .300 on the season, but his counting stats are lacking for fantasy managers. UPDATE: Manager Bob Melvin said Wade has a little hamstring tightness, but the feeling is that next week's All-Star break will help Wade get to 100%.
LaMonte Wade Jr. Expected To Come Off Injured List On Friday
San Francisco Giants first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) is expected to come off the 10-day injured list on Friday. Wade will return to the Giants after missing the last month of action due to a Grade 2 left-hamstring strain. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter went 1-for-7 with four walks and two strikeouts in three minor-league rehab games with Triple-A Sacramento before getting the green light to return to the big leagues this weekend. His return will push veteran infielder Wilmer Flores back into more of a utility role for San Fran. If Wade is available on your league's waiver wire, he's surely worth a pickup, as he's going to play regularly after slashing .333/.470/.426 with an .896 OPS in his first 129 at-bats this year.
LaMonte Wade Jr. To Begin Triple-A Rehab Assignment Sunday
San Francisco Giants outfielder/first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday. The 30-year-old currently resides on the 10-day injured list and has not appeared in a big-league contest since May 27. Wade had been off to a nice start to his season as he was hitting .333 with a pair of homers alongside an .896 OPS across 52 appearances but a bloated .436 BABIP was due for significant regression while his .093 isolated power was well below his career .169 mark. Nonetheless, he still walked in a whopping 19.9% trips to the plate, a figure just slightly below his 21.1% K% on the season. The lefty-swinging Wade is an intriguing streaming option when he gets into the lineup against right-handed pitching.
Mike Yastrzemski
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Giants
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