Notes: Smoak DFA'd; Dickerson returns
SAN FRANCISCO -- Justin Smoak's tenure with the Giants is over after six hitless at-bats.
Smoak was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 28-man roster for left fielder Alex Dickerson, who was reinstated from the paternity list on Monday. Dickerson took a two-game leave of absence over the weekend, as he and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their first child, Levi Ross, on Sunday.
With outfielder Mike Yastrzemski still nursing a calf injury, Dickerson slotted back into the leadoff spot against right-hander Germ¨¢n M¨¢rquez in Monday¡¯s series opener against the Rockies at Oracle Park.
Smoak, 33, joined the Giants on a Minor League deal on Sept. 9 and subsequently replaced the popular Pablo Sandoval on the club¡¯s active roster. The Giants believed Smoak could give them more left-handed power off the bench, particularly against righties, but they couldn¡¯t afford to carry another player who profiled strictly as a designated hitter option following the injuries to Yastrzemski and Austin Slater, who hasn¡¯t played the outfield since Aug. 11 due to an elbow issue.
¡°It just created a lack of positional flexibility for us,¡± manager Gabe Kapler said Monday. ¡°When considering Daniel Robertson, by way of example, he can play several infield positions as well as the outfield. We viewed Smoak as a DH-only candidate, pinch-hit opportunities for us, so those are the reasons that we made this move.¡±
Kapler said it would have likely been hard to justify keeping Sandoval on the Giants¡¯ roster for similar reasons. Sandoval, 34, caught on with the Braves last week and was assigned to their alternate training site.
¡°I think we'd be dealing with a very similar situation, understanding that we need players that can move around the diamond and that give us some defensive protection right now,¡± Kapler said.
Yastrzemski has begun to ease back into lower-body workouts and was slated to hit off a tee on Monday. He is still being held back from running, but the Giants have discussed the possibility of using him as a DH before he returns to the outfield.
¡°He's progressing nicely,¡± Kapler said. ¡°I don't have an exact timetable for you.¡±
Worth noting
Jeff Samardzija (right shoulder impingement) was scheduled to pitch three innings at the alternate site in Sacramento on Monday. Kapler said the Giants view the 35-year-old veteran as a candidate to start one of the club¡¯s doubleheader games against the Padres on Friday. Samardzija, who is in the final year of the five-year, $90 million contract he signed with the Giants in December 2015, logged a 9.88 ERA over three starts before landing on the IL on Aug. 8