Giants notes: Jerar Encarnación continues late spring surge with loud home run

SCOTTSDALE — When the ball left Jerar Encarnación’s bat in the second inning Sunday, it looked like it might hit a car in the parking lot well beyond the left field wall at Scottsdale Stadium. The trees at the back of the ballpark finally put a stop to it, but the loud homer still nearly did some damage. Giants manager Tony Vitello heard later in the game that the ball hit a fan who was walking behind the berm. All was good, though. Vitello was told the fan was just fine. “If you’re walking that deep from home plate, you probably are not expecting a baseball to come near you, but it did,” Vitello said. “It was impressive.”Vitello compared the three-run homer, which went an estimated 463 feet, to a dunk that has an arena buzzing for several minutes. For Encarnación, it was potentially an important swing. Jerar Encarnacion hit this ball 463 FEET pic.twitter.com/tuK8xDHuZO — SF Giants on NBCS (&commat;NBCSGiants) March 15, 2026 The outfielder is one of several players vying for a bench job, and if Bryce Eldridge does not make the Opening Day roster, Encarnación would be perhaps the best candidate to be the designated hitter early in the year, especially against New York Yankees lefty Max Fried on March 25. For a couple of weeks this spring, it looked like Encarnación would slump his way out of the mix, but he has taken much better swings over the past week and is up to a .783 OPS with two homers and two doubles. Vitello also consistently has complimented Encarnación’s defense and baserunning. They never will be strong suits for the big slugger, but Vitello has noted multiple times that Encarnación is making smart reads and playing extremely hard.The Giants have 10 days to make decisions on Encarnación and Luis Matos, both of whom are out of options. The 28-year-old Encarnación said he’s not thinking about what might happen. “I’m just trying to take the opportunity that I have right now,” he said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I just come in and enjoy the game. Those are things I can’t control.”It’s hard to envision Encarnación and Eldridge spending too much time together on a roster that also includes Rafael Devers, but there’s no doubt the Giants could use the right-handed thump off the bench. Encarnación was set for a meaty role a year ago at this time before an injury late in camp. He ended up playing just 19 games because of that hand fracture, an oblique strain and a hamstring strain.Vitello has not given many hints about which way the Giants are leaning, except to compliment the entire outfield group. Matos has had a good spring, too, and Grant McCray and Jared Oliva have flashed as speed options. Vitello noted Sunday that a week can be a long time, especially this time of year. There’s still time for guys to hit their way onto the roster, and Encarnación certainly made a statement Sunday.“That was amazing. I think it was 115 (mph) at 28 degrees?,” starter Robbie Ray said. “That’s a homer anywhere. Maybe the Green Monster swallows it but it might go through it.”Beating The HeatThe Giants moved their Spring Breakout Game to 6 p.m. on Thursday to avoid the scorching Scottsdale weather, and the Colorado Rockies announced they’re doing the same with that day’s Cactus League matchup with the Giants. It has been bumped back five hours, from 1:10 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.Teams across the Cactus League are talking about making similar changes all of this week, when temperatures will soar past 100 degrees. The Giants have a split-squad on Friday and both games will be played in the evening. Their final game is Saturday at noon and it’s projected to be 102 degrees, but there’s not much they can do with that one. They have to fly home after the game to prepare for three exhibitions in the Bay Area. See You Soon?New pitching coach Justin Meccage met with beat writers on Sunday to discuss his journey to the Giants and some of the young pitchers in camp. Among those who caught his eye earlier this spring was Will Bednar, a former first-round pick who has seen an uptick in velocity since becoming a reliever. Bednar was sent to minor-league camp during the first round of cuts, but the staff was intrigued by his development.“I think he’s going to be a factor at some point this year for us,” Meccage said. “We gave him a power-slider and he’s got the best fastball in the organization metrically. If we can get him in the zone with that fastball and that power-slider, I think that’s a pretty good mix.”Meccage worked with David Bednar, Will’s older brother, in Pittsburgh and said he has known the family for a long time. He helped arrange it so that both pitched in the Team USA scrimmage a couple weeks ago. Trainer’s RoomThe Hayden Birdsong diagnosis is the biggest injury of the spring, but there are others on the sidelines, including Parks Harber, who came out of Saturday’s game with a bad-looking right hamstring strain. Harber will get an MRI on Monday to determine the severity.Lefty Sam Hentges continues to go through the rehab progression as he recovers from shoulder and knee surgeries and the Giants have now admitted that the offseason addition will miss Opening Day. Joel Peguero (left hamstring strain) has been cleared to play catch up to 90 feet. Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Giants notes: Jerar Encarnación continues late spring surge with loud home run

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