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 outfielder Michael Conforto and infielders Brett Wisely and David Villar are all sitting on Thursday against the visiting Chicago Cubs with left-hander Shota Imanaga on the mound in the series finale. Austin Slater is starting in left field and batting leadoff, Nick Ahmed is at shortstop and hitting eighth, and Thairo Estrada is at second base and batting seventh for the Gigantes. Conforto has swung a hot and productive bat for the Giants of late, but he'll take a seat against a southpaw despite the fact that he's hitting .292 (14-for-48) with three of his nine homers against lefties in 2024. The matchup against Imanaga isn't ideal, but Slater becomes a DFS sleeper out of the leadoff spot on Thursday. He's gone 10-for-56 (.179) with only four RBI against left-handers this year.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) has been activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and is in left field and batting cleanup against D-backs right-hander Ryne Nelson. This move was expected but has been officially made, with starting pitcher Blake Snell (groin) headed to the injured list. The assumption is that Conforto will take over in left field in place of Heliot Ramos. It'll be interesting to see how the Giants split up the playing time between Ramos and Luis Matos in the outfield. Regardless, fantasy managers can get Conforto back in their lineups on Monday.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) is on track to return from the injured list ahead of the team's three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Conforto has been on the shelf since May 11, when he suffered a hamstring injury after taking a hard turn around first base on a single. However, it appears now that the outfielder is fully healthy following his weekend rehab stint with Triple-A Sacramento. He should immediately slot back in atop the Giants' lineup and should be rostered in most fantasy leagues going forward. The former All-Star was hitting .280 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI before his injury in early May.
Michael Conforto, Nick Ahmed Starting Rehab Assignments
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A Sacramento, and shortstop Nick Ahmed (wrist) will join him in Sacramento on Saturday. Both Conforto and Ahmed could rejoin the Giants early next week if they get through their rehab assignments this weekend without any setbacks. Conforto was hitting a solid .280 (40-for-143) with seven home runs and 20 RBI before he suffered a right-hamstring strain on May 11 against the Cincinnati Reds. Conforto will be a lineup regular for the Giants when he returns. Ahmed, meanwhile, was the regular shortstop in San Fran before spraining his left wrist against the Braves on May 9. The 34-year-old vet is more of a defensive asset and was hitting a mere .236 with 11 RBI on the year before his injury.
Michael Conforto Could Start Rehab Assignment Later This Week
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) could start a minor-league rehab assignment later this week, according to the team. Meanwhile, outfielder Austin Slater (concussion) will start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday if he is cleared on Monday. Conforto is trying to recover from a right-hamstring strain but was cleared to resume baseball activities last week. The 31-year-old left-handed hitter has been out for more than two weeks and is going to need to prove he can run full speed before he's cleared to play in games at the minor-league level. If Conforto doesn't suffer a setback this weekend, he could return to San Fran's lineup early next week. Conforto's fantasy managers can only hope he'll return and pick up where he left off after he hit .280 (40-for-143) with seven homers and 20 RBI before being put on the injured list.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin says it's unlikely that outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list in time for the club's series that starts on Friday against the New York Mets. After hitting the IL back on May 12, Conforto has ramped up his running progression but likely hasn't progressed quickly enough in his rehab from a strained right hamstring to return to the Giants when first eligible this weekend. The 31-year-old former New York Met was slashing a respectable .280/.331/.490 with seven home runs, seven doubles, and 20 RBI in 38 games (143 at-bats) as San Fran's everyday left fielder before getting hurt, and he's a decent stash in the majority of fantasy leagues. In Conforto's absence, former first-rounder Heliot Ramos is worth a look in NL-only formats while hitting .296 (16-for-54) with two homers, nine RBI, and one stolen base over 14 outings this year.
Michael Conforto Cleared For On-Field Batting Practice
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) has been cleared for on-field batting practice and is nearing a return from the injured list. A right-hamstring strain put Conforto on the 10-day injured list over a week ago, but he appears to be making good progress. The last hurdle that the 31-year-old probably will have to clear is running the bases at full speed, and it remains to be seen if he'll be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning to San Francisco. Conforto is eligible to return next Wednesday. The Giants could really use him back after recently losing rookie Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) for the entire season. The left-handed-hitting Conforto was slashing a strong .280/.331/.490 with an .821 OPS, seven home runs and 20 RBI in 143 at-bats for the Giants before tweaking his hammy.
Michael Conforto Heads To Injured List With Hamstring Strain
San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a right hamstring strain. Conforto was removed from Saturday's game in the fourth inning with the ailment. The 31-year-old was leading the Giants with seven home runs and 40 hits at the time of his injury. Luis Matos was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento as a corresponding move and figures to fit into the outfield mix while Conforto is shelved. Matos is more of a wait-and-see fantasy asset at this point since he has struggled in the minors so far this season.
