Giants manager Gabe Kapler confirmed Sunday that Haniger (oblique) will open the season on the 10-day injured list, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.
Austin Slater (hamstring) and Luis Gonzalez (back) are also ticketed for the IL, leaving the Giants light on outfield depth to begin the 2023 campaign. Haniger hasn't played in a Cactus League game since March 4 due to the Grade 1 oblique strain, but he resumed throwing and hitting last week and may not require an extended ramp-up period if he can avoid any setbacks during his rehab program. At least for the time being, the 32-year-old is still projected to be ready to make his Giants debut in early-to-mid-April.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Not expected to be ready by opener
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Haniger (oblique) is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Haniger has been ramping up his activity level as he works his way back from a strained oblique, but he's going to run out of time. It does seem as though his season debut will be only slightly delayed, and a backdated injured list stint would mean he would miss only six games.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Resumes throwing and hitting
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Haniger (oblique) resumed throwing and hitting Tuesday in Giants camp, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Haniger is now ahead of the estimated timeline in his recovery from a Grade 1 oblique strain, though it still seems doubtful that he will be fully ready for Opening Day. The best guess is that he makes his Giants debut in mid-April, assuming that he can avoid setbacks as he ramps back up into baseball activity.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Looks unlikely for Opening Day
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Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Thursday that Haniger (oblique) won't resume baseball activity for at least another week, Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News reports.
It could be as long as 10 days before Haniger is able to return to daily workouts in Giants camp. "We're just going to gradually build him up," said Kapler. "I don't think there's any rush to get him ready." Haniger suffered a Grade 1 oblique strain earlier this month and seems likely to open the 2023 season with an IL stint. The oft-injured outfielder inked a three-year, $43.5 million contract with San Francisco in December.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Diagnosed with Grade 1 strain
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Haniger underwent an MRI on Saturday which revealed a Grade 1 oblique strain, but he still could be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Haniger was scratched Friday due to the issue, which turns out to be serious enough to keep him out for more than just a couple days. For now, manager Gabe Kapler is expressing optimism that Haniger will be ready by Opening Day, but given the outfielder's lengthy injury history, the Giants could elect to be cautious. Haniger will rest for five to seven days before being evaluated, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Dealing with oblique tightness
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Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Friday that Haniger will be out for at least a couple of days due to oblique tightness, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Haniger was a late scratch from Friday afternoon's Cactus League game against the Rockies, and now there's a little more clarity on the issue. It sounds like the Giants might have caught the issue early enough that it won't affect his readiness for the beginning of the 2023 regular season, and for now there is no MRI scheduled. The oft-injured outfielder signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract with San Francisco in December.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Scratched from lineup
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Haniger was scratched from the Giants lineup ahead of Friday's game against Colorado, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
There's no word yet on why Haniger was removed from the lineup, but the Giants will likely provide an update soon. In the meantime, Luis Matos will take his place in right field, batting eighth.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Adjusts training approach
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Haniger worked with two trainers in the offseason in an effort to avoid adding to the long list of injuries in his career, Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Haniger has had some bad luck with freak injuries, but he's also played more than half the games in just two of the last five seasons. The outfielder is expected to play a starting role with the Giants, but that can only happen if he stays healthy. He slashed .246/.308/.429 with 11 home runs, 34 RBI, 31 runs scored and eight doubles in 57 games with the Mariners last year, which saw him limited by back and ankle injuries.
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Giants' Mitch Haniger: Inks deal with San Francisco
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Haniger agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million contract with the Giants on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
San Francisco's pursuit of Aaron Judge has understandably garnered most of the attention, but the organization was first able to secure a deal with Haniger to bolster its outfield. Haniger was limited to 57 games for Seattle last season due to a high-ankle sprain, but he provided a solid bat when healthy with a .246/.308/.429 slash line. The 31-year-old was also productive in 2021 with an .803 OPS, 39 home runs and 100 RBI in 157 contests. The contract includes an opt-out after the 2024 campaign, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, so it could end up being a two-year pact if Haniger performs well with the Giants.
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Mitch Haniger: No qualifying offer coming
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Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said Tuesday the team doesn't plan to extend Haniger a qualifying offer for 2023, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
The 31-year-old will hit free agency for the first time in his career, though Dipoto also expressed interest in bringing the outfielder back at a lower price than the $19.65 million qualifying offer. Haniger suffered a high-ankle sprain in April and was limited to 57 games in 2022. He was decent at the plate when healthy with a .246/.308/.429 slash line, 11 home runs and 34 RBI.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Goes deep during victory
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Haniger went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over Detroit.
Haniger gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead with a solo homer off lefty starter Tyler Alexander with one out in the first inning. The outfielder smacked four homers over 24 at-bats during his final six games of the regular season. The 31-year-old played in 57 contests this year and had a .246/.308/.429 slash line with 11 home runs, 34 RBI and 31 runs scored.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Belts 10th homer Tuesday
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Haniger went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk during an extra-inning win over the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday.
Haniger hit his 10th homer of the season off Eduardo Rodriguez in the third inning, launching a 401-foot blast to center field that plated J.P. Crawford to snap a 1-1 tie. Haniger then sat in the nightcap, and he heads into Wednesday's regular-season finale hitting a red-hot .344 (11-for-32) with two doubles, three homers, nine RBI, three walks and six runs over his last eight games.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Riding pine Saturday
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Haniger isn't starting Saturday against Oakland.
Haniger is one of several starters who will rest Saturday after the Mariners clinched a postseason berth Friday night. Sam Haggerty will take his place in right field and bat sixth.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Slugs two homers
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Haniger went 2-for-5 with a pair of two-run home runs in Thursday's 10-9 win over the Rangers in extra innings.
Haniger accounted for the Mariners' first four runs, homering in the first and third innings. He's produced multiple hits in four of his last seven games, but the power show is encouraging after he went 25 contests without a homer. The right fielder is up to nine long balls, 31 RBI, 27 runs scored and a .239/.301/.405 slash line through 52 games this year.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Productive in defeat
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Haniger went 3-for-6 with a double, two runs, two RBI and a strikeout during Sunday's 13-12 loss to the Royals.
Haniger went 0-for-6 with three walks and four strikeouts over the first two games of the series in Kansas City, but he was much more productive during Sunday's high-scoring series finale. The 31-year-old's double in the top of the seventh inning was his first extra-base hit since Sept. 2, and he's now struck out in 21 consecutive games dating back to Aug. 28.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Busy night on basepaths Thursday
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Haniger went 2-for-5 with an RBI single, a double and two runs in a win over the Athletics on Thursday.
Haniger was a big part of the Mariners' fast start, plating Julio Rodriguez (back) with the first run of the game via a first-inning single and then subsequently coming around to score on Cal Raleigh's double. The veteran outfielder has shown some signs of life at the plate of late after a recent 0-for-17, seven-game slump, hitting safely in three of the past four contests.
Haniger went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs in a win over the Angels on Monday.
Haniger had just returned to the lineup Sunday after missing four games with lower-back tightness but had gone 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Monday's outing was therefore a lot more productive, and it snapped an 0-for-20 slump for Haniger that dated back to Sept. 7. The fact the veteran outfielder was able to play a full game in the outfield for the second consecutive day also seems to indicate his previously ailing back is back to full health.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Hitless in return
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Haniger (back) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Angels.
Haniger missed four games with lower-back tightness. His return to the lineup was a quiet one, and he's now gone 0-for-17 across his last five games. The slump has dropped him to a .228/.282/.389 slash line through 42 contests this year, and he's added seven home runs, 23 RBI, 19 runs scored and six doubles. He should still see regular playing time in right field and as the designated hitter going forward.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Checks back into lineup
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Haniger (back) will start in right field and bat third in Sunday's game against the Angels.
Haniger is back in action to close out the weekend after he missed the Mariners' last four games on account of lower-back tightness. The Mariners' decision to deploy Haniger in the outfield rather than at designated hitter in his first game back seemingly implies that the team is confident in the 31-year-old's health moving forward.
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Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Set to return Sunday
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Haniger (back) is expected to start Sunday against the Angels, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Haniger hasn't played since leaving last Sunday's contest against Atlanta with lower-back tightness, but his absence won't stretch on for much longer. He tested his back while swinging and running prior to Friday's game against the Angels and evidently felt fine, as he may even make an appearance as a pinch hitter Saturday.
