At last, Mac Williamson is back. And as long as he stays healthy, he is not going anywhere.
The Giants’ coveted right-handed slugger returned to the lineup against the Chicago Cubs Friday after suffering a concussion on April 24. He spent the past week with Triple-A Sacramento, where he hit .333 with two homers and seven RBI in five games.
Before Friday’s day game, Giants manager Bruce Bochy provided an important update on Williamson, according to The Athletic‘s Andrew Baggarly.
Bruce Bochy said Mac Williamson will be the team’s everyday left fielder.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) May 25, 2018
Williamson dazzled in his limited time with the big league club last month. He homered three times — all bombs — in his first 19 at-bats. He hit .316 with a 1.105 OPS in his five appearances. On April 24, however, he was sent to the seven-day concussion list, and then the 10-day disabled list after colliding with the AT&T Park left field wall behind the bullpen.
The news of Williamson being named the everyday left field starter poses questions about Hunter Pence. He sprained his thumb on Apr. 3, played through it for the following two-and-a-half weeks, and went on the disabled list on Apr. 19. He has since been rehabbing with Triple-A Sacramento. He has hit .312 with 12 RBI and a .734 OPS in 19 games.
Bochy has reiterated his preference of having eight relievers to complement a struggling starting pitching staff. Pence’s eventual promotion could potentially omit one of those relievers.
With the news of Williamson’s expanded role, it seems Bochy is perfectly content with the left field outlook.