SAN FRANCISCO _ The Giants have their over-caffeinated right fielder back, precisely when they most need a double shot in their lineup.
The club activated Hunter Pence from the disabled list Saturday and he's in the lineup as the Giants try to snap out of their second-half funk against the Washington Nationals. The Giants designated infielder Ramiro Pena for assignment.
Pence missed 48 games with a right hamstring strain and underwent surgery June 9 to remove a torn tendon. He went 10-for-24 with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs in seven rehab games for Triple-A Sacramento.
He slots in the No. 5 spot behind Buster Posey, and the Giants dearly hope he can settle in quickly in RBI spots. The club is batting .147 in 109 at-bats with runners in scoring position while losing nine of 11 since the All-Star break.
The Giants welcomed back Pence and second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) in this series against Washington, and Panik is batting seventh Saturday as Bruce Bochy seeks to ease him back into action.
That leaves third baseman Matt Duffy and backup infielder Ehire Adrianza still on the shelf, but they are expected to be activated soon. Duffy will start his rehab assignment with Sacramento on Saturday and play five innings, then serve as the DH on Sunday _ the first time he'll appear for the River Cats, since he jumped straight from Double-A to the big leagues in 2014.
Duffy is likely to continue his rehab with Double-A Richmond next week so he's nearby while the Giants are on their upcoming road swing through Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Miami.
The Giants could have optioned outfielder Mac Williamson to clear a roster space for Pence, and Pena has been a solid contributor at times while batting .299/.330/.425 in 30 games. But with Duffy and Adrianza coming soon, and Eduardo Nunez added via trade with Minnesota, Pena's time on the roster was limited anyway.
Two other Giants regulars are missing from Saturday's lineup. Brandon Crawford bruised his hand while getting jammed in his first at-bat Friday night and is day to day. So is center fielder Denard Span, who locked legs at first base on his infield single in the eighth inning.
Of course, that eighth-inning rally ended with the first 3-3-5 triple play in baseball history when Crawford hit a bases-loaded line drive that first baseman Ryan Zimmermann caught off his shoe tops then stepped on the bag to double off Buster Posey. Span had gone home and Zimmermann lobbed the ball across the diamond to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who stepped on the bag to record the third out.
Span said Saturday that he thought the ball had bounced, and when Zimmermann was going to first base, it was to force Crawford and not double off Posey.
"You're taught to freeze, and that's what I did," Span said. "I took a jab step back. But I couldn't see a catch. I couldn't tell. I thought he'd go (force) Crawford and then go home. My first reaction was, 'I'd better run home before he (throws).' That's what I saw."
Neither Span nor Bochy would say anything critical of third base coach Roberto Kelly, and it's true, the play was an odd one that developed quickly. But between Friday's triple play and Angel Pagan's failure to score on a wild pitch at Yankee Stadium, it's fair to wonder if the Giants are lacking some combination of assertiveness, aggressiveness or attentiveness in the third base coaching box.
