Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
There were concerns about Brandon Belt’s surgically repaired right knee needing to go under the knife again; there were concerns about whether the first-place Giants would see their first baseman again this season.
Monday represented a big step toward those concerns being alleviated.
The first baseman was set to start light baseball activities for the first time since the June 23 injury before the Giants and Cardinals began a three-game set at Oracle Park.
“Feeling better every day,” Gabe Kapler said of Belt, for whom the Giants do not yet have a return timetable yet.
Still, Belt is closer to weeks off than months off after his knee made him hobble from third to home against the Angels, and then the 33-year-old went down behind home plate.
Without Belt’s surehanded glove and big bat, the Giants have been platooning LaMonte Wade Jr. and Darin Ruf at first, the latter of whom was starting against St. Louis lefty Kwang Hyun Kim.
Also shoehorned into the starting lineup against Kim was Thairo Estrada, who has gone 4-for-13 with a grand slam since being called up. The infielder was playing left field with Donovan Solano at second, Wilmer Flores at third and at shortstop Brandon Crawford, who was the only lefty hitter in the order.
Estrada had started one game in the outfield with Triple-A Sacramento this year and played in the grass sparingly with the Yankees: In his 61 games with New York, he played 14 innings in the outfield.
“Similar to the way we view [Mauricio] Dubon, we like the fact that he can move around the diamond,” Kapler said of the 25-year-old. “…We have him ready for this opportunity. It’s as much about getting as many righty bats into the lineup as possible knowing that Estrada can hold down the fort in left.”
Mike Yastrzemski, who was not starting, is fine, Kapler said. They wanted to give him a day off after the Sunday night game.
The Giants’ lineup:
1. Austin Slater, CF
2. Thairo Estrada, LF
3. Wilmer Flores, 3B
4. Darin Ruf, 1B
5. Donovan Solano, 2B
6. Brandon Crawford, SS
7. Jaylin Davis, RF
8. Curt Casali, C
9. Kevin Gausman, P
Both Reyes Moronta (right flexor strain) and Aaron Sanchez (right bicep tightness, blister) are expected to throw live batting practice sessions Tuesday.
Logan Webb is set for a second rehab outing with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, throwing three innings or 45 pitches out of the bullpen.
