SF Giants’ LaMonte Wade Jr. managing hamstring tightness; Jorge Soler returns to lineup

LaMonte Wade Jr. was held out of the starting lineup on Thursday afternoon as he deals with hamstring tightness, but Jorge Soler returned after missing two games due to illness

SAN FRANCISCO — LaMonte Wade Jr.’s hamstring isn’t done giving him fits.

Wade was held out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Blue Jays as he deals with hamstring tightness. Per manager Bob Melvin, Wade, who missed a month due to a left hamstring strain, felt something yesterday and the team did not want to start him in a day game following the night game.

Melvin said the Giants will have to manage Wade’s hamstring through the All-Star Break. San Francisco will play four more home games, including Thursday, before concluding the first half, then get four days off before traveling to Colorado. Melvin hopes the All-Star Break will allow Wade to recover, adding that the team wants to be cautious and avoid another stint on the injured list.

“We don’t want to go down that road again,” Melvin said of Wade, who went 2-for-4 with a walk on Wednesday night.

Wade, who leads the Giants in batting average (.316) and on-base percentage (.450) could be available off the bench on Thursday, per Melvin. The Giants’ manager added that Wade will “probably be back in there tomorrow.”

While Wade will not be starting, designated hitter Jorge Soler returned to the lineup after missing the Giants’ last two games due to illness. Soler, batting .224 with 10 home runs and a .701 OPS, was slotted into the leadoff spot against former Giant Kevin Gausman.

“I think he feels a lot better today,” Melvin said. “He actually started to turn a corner yesterday. It hit him pretty hard in Cleveland. Then, the first day here, it wasn’t good. But I think he’s much better today.”

Additional injury updates

• Alex Cobb (right shoulder injury) allowed three earned runs over four innings (55 pitches) in his third rehab outing with Single-A San Jose. Per Melvin, Cobb will soon travel to Arizona to continue pitching during the All-Star Break.
• Catcher Tom Murphy (left knee sprain) is hitting and throwing, but is “not in a position to catch and block yet,” per Melvin. Murphy is catching bullpens, but doing so while down on his right knee.
• Austin Warren (Tommy John surgery) remains on pace to potentially return this month.