Giants place Lee on 10-day IL with left shoulder dislocation originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The centerpiece of a great Giants offseason has joined a great group of teammates on the IL.
San Francisco placed Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-day IL on Monday, a day later he dislocated his shoulder when he hit at the central fence of the field at Oracle Park. Lee will meet with team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki on Monday and the Giants will have a better idea of his rehab options and timeline after that, but it is expected to be an extended absence.
Manager Bob Melvin said he spoke with Lee on Sunday and the outfielder was disappointed. Melvin was hopeful that surgery would be avoided, but said he couldn’t offer much more in terms of details.
“He’s very team-oriented and wants to be there for his team and so he’s disappointed,” Melvin said. “There’s not much he can do about it. You make an all-out play to get the ball in the first inning, and if you make that play, it’s a big momentum swing, and now all of a sudden our center fielder is down.
“We had to recover a little from that [Sunday], but I’m sure he’s feeling it now. He wants to be there to help his team.
Lee signed a six-year contract worth $113 million in December, the most the franchise has ever awarded to a free agent position player. Serving primarily as a leadoff hitter, he played in 37 of 42 games, batting .262 with a .641 OPS and two homers. He has a wRC+ of 89, which puts him 11 points below the league average, but the Giants considered the overall numbers to contain some bad luck, as Lee’s expected batting average – based on quality of contact – is 22. points higher than its real value.
The Giants can fill the hole at the top of the lineup by moving LaMonte Wade Jr. to that position when others return, but they will have a hard time replacing Lee in center field. Advanced metrics have him rated at roughly league average, but he makes good jumps and the team is confident he will be a plus center fielder once he is more accustomed to the stadiums and elements of MLB.
Tyler Fitzgerald took over center field after Lee was injured on Sunday, but Luis Matos was in the lineup on Monday and Melvin said Matos would “give a good shot out there” for now. Mike Yastrzemski can also slide as needed.
The Giants have lost three outfielders – Austin Slater, Michael Conforto and Lee – over the last three games, although they still have plenty of outfield options left. Heliot Ramos will assume an everyday role. Blake Sabol, Brett Wisely and Wade can also play in the outfield, although the preference is to leave Wade out initially.
No matter how they do it, Lee’s absence will be felt. The Giants were attracted to him in part because they believed strongly in his ability to play center, which would drive others to the corners, but they no longer have that advantage.
