For the second day in a row, the Giants effectively ruled one of their key hitters out for Opening Day.
LaMonte Wade Jr. had an MRI on his left knee that revealed inflammation and a bone bruise and will rest for 10 days before being re-evaluated, sidelining him for at least the first few days of the season. The news came a day after the Giants announced that Evan Longoria will have surgery on his right index finger.
Coming off a surprising first season in orange and black, Wade was having a good camp but had to come out of Monday's game because of the discomfort. All things considered, inflammation and a bone bruise is not a bad outcome when dealing with knee injuries, but it still will keep Wade from making his first Opening Day start. He likely would have hit at the top of the lineup or in the heart of it against the Miami Marlins on April 8.
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While both injuries leave big voids, the Giants should be able to pretty easily fill the outfield at-bats until Wade returns. Steven Duggar had been pushed to sixth outfielder status by the addition of Joc Pederson but now seems the likely starting center fielder to begin the year, with Pederson and Mike Yastrzemski in the corners.
RELATED: How NLDS at-bat motivated Wade all offseason
Wade, 28, is coming off a breakout season. He hit 18 homers last year with a .808 OPS and became a regular in the leadoff and cleanup spots against right-handed pitching.
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