The San Francisco Giants are coming off a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
They lost two of the three games after Thursday’s 5-2 defeat.
The Giants will now start a three-game series on Friday against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Left-handed pitcher Matt ‘Tugboat’ Wilkinson will face right-hander Nolan McLean. First pitch is scheduled at 4:10 p.m. PST.
Giants Announce Jung Hoo Lee Decision
Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has been in and out of the starting lineup recently. After sitting out Thursday’s game, Lee returns to the Giants lineup in Friday’s series opener against the Mets.
Lee will bat fifth in the lineup and start in right field.
Despite not starting Thursday’s game, the outfielder was utilized as a pinch-hitter in the 7th inning for catcher Andrew Knizner (batting sixth).
Lee hit an RBI double in his first at-bat off the bench. He then grounded out to first in the 9th inning.
Jung Hoo Lee’s Struggles Recently
The former KBO star is having a solid season based on his overall numbers. He currently owns both a career-high batting average of .283 and a .739 OPS.
His average was well above .300 midway through the season. However, it has continually dipped over the past month.
Lee entered August with a .300 average. But he has only hit .227/.295/.345 for a .641 OPS since Aug. 1. Specifically, the 28-year-old only has 2 hits in his last 20 at-bats.
The outfielder is not going to hit for much power, so his value lies in being an excellent contact hitter, which he displayed over the first half of the season.
The San Francisco Giants and Lee agreed on a 6-year, $113 million deal in 2024. The left-handed hitter will be three years into his contract after this season. He has an opt-out after the 2027 season.
Looking at the Giants
The Giants have seemingly called up the majority of their Triple-A Sacramento Rivercats roster over the past month. San Francisco is both dealing with a lot of injuries to their contributing players and the team needs to evaluate what they have in their organization.
The SF Giants currently own the second-worst record in the National League at 58-83.
They are 3-2 in their last five games.
San Francisco Giants Announce Jung Hoo Lee Decision Before Mets Game