The San Francisco Giants started an intriguing lineup in Thursday night’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
First baseman/designated hitter Rafael Devers was the only player in the series opener who also started in the Giants’ Opening Day lineup.
The Giants slotted a lot of young players and recent Triple-A Sacramento call-ups to fill out the remaining positions.
Nevertheless, San Francisco won 6-1 on Thursday. They play the Diamondbacks in the second game of the series on Friday at 7:15 p.m. PST.
Jung Hoo Lee Returns to Giants Lineup
The Giants announced their starting lineup ahead of Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
Jung Hoo Lee will start in right field and bat 5th in the order.
Jonah Cox – CF Rafael Devers – 1B Bryce Eldridge – DH Andrew Knizner – C Jung Hoo Lee – RF Shay Whitcomb – 3B Turner Hill – LF Christian Koss – SS Osleivis Basabe – 2B
RHP Blade Tidwell
Lee did not start in Thursday’s series opener. He was used as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning for the 9th-place batter, second baseman Nate Furman. Lee drew a walk and scored a run in part of a four-run inning.
The outfielder was scratched from the lineup before Wednesday’s game against the Reds after getting hit by a pitch the day before.
Lee had an elbow bruise that left him out of Wednesday’s game, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported (on Aug. 26).
Jung Hoo Lee This Season
Lee has stayed relatively healthy in his third season with the Giants. The former KBO superstar has become one of the premier contact hitters in MLB.
His career-high .289 batting average ranks 15th in all of baseball. Former Giants second baseman Luis Arraez has the second-best average (.318) behind Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez (.319).
The 27-year-old also has a career-high 9 home runs through 122 games played. Lee is currently slashing .289/.327/.423 for a .750 OPS.
Lee is in his third season of a 6-year, $113 million contract. The outfielder has an opt-out after the 2027 season.
Giants Right Now
The Giants are in the stage of their season where they are getting a good look at players within their organization who can help the team next year.
San Francisco currently owns a 55-79 record (32-34 at home). They are 3-2 in their last 5 games.
The Giants will conclude their series against the Diamondbacks after a doubleheader on Saturday. They will then have an off-day on Sunday before a seven-game road trip.
San Francisco Giants Announce Jung Hoo Lee Decision Before Diamondbacks Game