Report: SF Giants rule OF Austin Slater out for Opening Day

The SF Giants outfield depth will be tested early in the season with Austin Slater ruled out for Opening Day.

Marc Delucchi | Mar 21, 2023

Report: SF Giants rule OF Austin Slater out for Opening Day /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants will not have outfielder Austin Slater available on Opening Day, according to a report by Evan Webeck of the Bay Area News Group. Slater was diagnosed with a strained hamstring last week, but the team has not officially released a timetable for his return at this point. However, a source informed Webeck that Slater will be out for at least three weeks.

SF Giants outfielder Austin Slater points to the sky after hitting a home run against the Diamondbacks. (2022) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

"After receiving an MRI on Friday that revealed a strained left hamstring, Slater was given a timeline of three to four weeks to return to play, sources said," wrote Webeck. "The timeline indicates a moderate strain and places his earliest possible return after the club’s opening road trip through New York and Chicago."

Slater only appeared in three games during spring training, and just once in the field. He was unable to take the field early in the spring due to an elbow injury and was just ramping up when he pulled his hamstring. He went 2-for-9 with a double, two walks, and four strikeouts.

With outfielder Luis González out for several months after undergoing back surgery and Mitch Haniger already sidelined by a Grade 1 oblique strain, the Giants outfield depth will be tested early in the season. Assuming Slater is on the injured list to start the season, Rule 5 pick Blake Sabol seems guaranteed to crack the Opening Day roster. This injury could also open the door for minor-league free-agent signing Stephen Piscotty or Bryce Johnson to make the team. Neither Piscotty nor Johnson are currently on the 40-man roster, so the Giants would need to make a corresponding move.

Slater has become an overlooked member of the team's core in large part because of his injury history. Slater had a breakout season in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, hitting .282/.408/.506 with five home runs and eight stolen bases in 31 games, but has never been able to replicate that level of production.

Slater is at his best against left-handed pitching. While his career .255/.345/.402 triple-slash is roughly league average, the Stanford product has a .285/.377/.469 line with 32 doubles, five triples, 20 home runs, 71 walks, and 139 strikeouts in 640 career plate appearances against southpaws.

Published Mar 21, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).