SANTA CLARA – Rookie running back Mike Davis will likely get a chance on Sunday to improve on his average of less than 1 yard per rushing attempt.
Davis was activated off injured reserve/designated for return on Saturday after missing seven games due to a fractured left hand. While seeing action in five games earlier this season, Davis gained 24 yards on 25 rushing attempts.
Davis is also in danger of becoming the first NFL running back with a rushing average of less than 1 yard since Kansas City’s Donnell Bennett gained 24 yards on 27 attempts in 2000.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
[MAIOCCO: Tartt expects better grip on NFL in second season]
The 49ers placed linebacker Michael Wilhoite on injured reserve to create the roster spot. Wilhoite started the first 12 games of the season before being sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
Davis sustained a fractured left hand Nov. 11 against the St. Louis Rams. Davis took part in the past two weeks of practices before getting moved to the 53-man roster for the season finale. He is likely to see action Sunday against the Rams at Levi’s Stadium.
Davis’ rushing average of 0.96 yards is currently the lowest in franchise history among players with 25 or more rushing attempts in a season. Anthony Dixon gained just 56 yards on 28 carries in 2013 for a 2.0 average.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
[MAIOCCO: 49ers' Staley: 'We didn't expect the kind of year we had']
The 49ers selected Davis in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. Davis declared for the NFL after his junior season at South Carolina. In his final two college seasons, Davis rushed for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 5.4-yard average.
The 49ers enter Sunday’s game with four running backs: Davis, Jarryd Hayne, DuJuan Harris and Kendall Gaskins.