San Francisco Giants DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnacion (hand) underwent successful surgery on Friday and is targeting a return to the lineup in eight weeks. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay noted that while Encarnacion is sidelined, Wilmer Flores will likely operate as the primary designated hitter. Encarnacion suffered a fracture in his left hand earlier in camp. He was expected to serve as a top option at designated hitter at the start of the campaign. Last season, Encarnacion appeared in career-high 36 contests and posted a .248/.277/.425 slash line. However, under the hood, he generated an elite .275 xBA with a .501 xSLG, which suggests he should have positive regression when he returns to the lineup. For now, fantasy managers should expect Flores to be the primary DH in San Francisco.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. are not in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon as the Giants will face left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo. Instead, Luis Matos will enter the outfield and bat sixth, and Wilmer Flores will shift to first base. This opens up the designated hitter spot for Casey Schmitt. Yastrzemski did not see many opportunities against southpaws last season, either. Across 140 total games, Yastrzemski posted a .231/.302/.437 slash line with 16 doubles and 18 round-trippers. Wade also saw limited opportunities against southpaws last season but was productive in his limited stint, as he slashed a .324/.429/.412 line across 43 plate appearances. Both Flores and Matos are worth a look in DFS while facing Lodolo, who held a 4.76 ERA in 2024.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, who homered out of the fifth spot in the batting order on Opening Day on Thursday, is starting in left field and batting leadoff on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Nick Lodolo at Great American Ball Park. Left-handed hitters Mike Yastrzemski and LaMonte Wade Jr. will start on the bench for this one with a southpaw on the mound. In addition to Ramos' two-run homer against the Reds on Thursday, he struck out three times. The 25-year-old Puerto Rican will be an everyday outfielder for the Giants in 2025 after he made his first All-Star team in 2024 by slashing .269/.322/.469 with a .792 OPS, 22 home runs, 72 RBI, six stolen bases and 54 runs scored in 121 games in his first full MLB season. Ramos will certainly be in play in DFS lineups in the leadoff spot. He's gone hitless in just two career at-bats versus Lodolo.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnacion (hand) is set to undergo surgery on his fractured left hand on Friday. He suffered this injury during spring training. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team will likely provide a definitive timetable following the operation. Encarnacion was in a good position to make the Opening Day roster and potentially have an everyday spot in the starting nine. Last season, Encarnacion appeared in a career-high 35 games and posted a .248/.277/.425 slash line with five doubles and five home runs. Across this short stint, he generated an elite .348 xwOBA with a .501 xSLG and a 58.8 percent hard-hit rate. While he is sidelined, Wilmer Flores will likely continue to serve as the everyday DH in San Francisco.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto is out of the starting lineup on Thursday for the team's home opener at Dodger Stadium against the visiting Detroit Tigers with left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound. Andy Pages will instead make the start in left field and will bat ninth versus the reigning American League Cy Young winner. Conforto will most likely find himself on the bench against tough southpaws in his first year in LA. In the team's two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19, Conforto went 2-for-7 with a double, a walk and two strikeouts. In his career, the 32-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has hit .232/.313/.391 with a .705 OPS against lefties, as opposed to a .257/.359/.479 slash line with an .839 OPS against right-handers. With Pages in left field, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas is starting at second and batting eighth for the Blue on Thursday in L.A.