SAN FRANCISCO – Giants outfielder Alex Dickerson and utility player Darin Ruf will both begin rehab assignments today with Triple-A Sacramento, manager Gabe Kapler said.
Kapler said it was likely that Dickerson would play the outfield and Ruf would be the designated hitter for the River Cats, who host Salt Lake tonight. It’s unclear how long each player will be in Sacramento, which is just starting a lengthy homestand.
“We’ll see how many at-bats they need to feel good,” Kapler said, “and then we’ll get them out of there.”
Dickerson landed on the IL on June 9 with an upper back strain, which occurred the day before when he struck out against Texas right-hander Jordan Lyles during the Giants’ 9-4 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Dickerson was hitting .226 with an OPS of .693 in 51 games this season at the time of the injury.
The Giants are 7-3 in Dickerson’s absence and enter Saturday’s game with the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park on a five-game win streak. San Francisco holds a 2 1/2 game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.
Ruf hasn’t played since May 26 when he suffered a right hamstring strain in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day. He was hitting .244 with an OPS of .882 at the time of his injury.
SANCHEZ UPDATE: Kapler said Aaron Sanchez, who exited his rehab start with Sacramento on Thursday after just 1 1/3 innings with a blister, is feeling better and will pitch Tuesday for the River Cats.
SUNDAY’S STARTER: Kapler said left-hander Sammy Long will start Sunday’s series finale with the Phillies. Long has appeared in two games for the Giants this season, most recently on Tuesday when he allowed four earned runs in five innings against Arizona.
Kapler is starting Long instead of an opener because he feels the Phillies will trot out a similar lineup Sunday as they will today, when they’ll have two left-handed hitters and six right-handers in the lineup. The Phillies are scheduled to start right-hander Spender Howard.
“Also we feel like Long has really earned the opportunity to start for us and see what he can give us,” Kapler said.
Kapler said catcher Buster Posey will get the day off Sunday, giving him two days to recover after being in this afternoon’s lineup.
HONORING JUNETEENTH: The Giants wore San Francisco Sea Lions replica uniforms Saturday, marking the 75th anniversary of the West Coast Negro Baseball Association. The Sea Lions played for just one season, wearing uniforms given to them by the San Francisco Cubs. That is why the Sea Lions’ tops had a bearcub on the left side.
Before the game, vocalist Jennifer Johns sang “Lift every voice and sing” and Margo Malone, the Giants’ manager of client relations and special projects, threw out the first pitch, caught by former San Francisco outfielder Jeffrey Leonard.
