Nearing rehab assignment, Mitch Haniger says time away from SF Giants has been ‘difficult’, ‘frustrating’

Out since June 13, Haniger hopes to begin a rehab assignment next week after taking live BP the past two days

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The opportunity to play for his hometown team was one of the factors that drew Mitch Haniger to the Giants this winter.

One issue: he hasn’t played much in his four months on the job.

That should change soon, as Haniger stated on Tuesday that the goal is to start rehab next week. He will not accompany the team on its upcoming six-game East Coast swing, but he could be ready to play his first game since June 13 soon after they return.

Haniger spoke to the Bay Area News Group after taking live batting practice on the field for the second day in a row, exactly nine weeks after being hit in the forearm by an errant Jack Flaherty fastball, effectively ending his time with the Giants before it had even begun.

“It’s definitely difficult,” Haniger admitted of his absence. “I don’t like being hurt and spending time on the IL.” You doubt your ability to do your job and perform for your teammates. The goal here is to win, and I know I can contribute to that. It’s frustrating not being able to contribute, but I just have to keep working hard, come back stronger, and focus on what lies ahead.”

The Giants will play their 121st game of the season when they begin their road trip in Atlanta on Friday, and the two free agent outfielders in whom they spent $79.5 million this offseason have shared the lineup 31 times.

Haniger, their most expensive signing, came with a reputation for struggling to stay on the field. Fair? Maybe not when breaking an arm on a hit-by-pitch isn’t even the strangest of his ailments. He tore a testicle on a foul ball in Seattle, sprained his ankle running out of the batter’s box, and suffered a sports hernia that went undiagnosed for months.

“At the same time, I’ve spent a lot of time on the IL,” Haniger explained. “People can label me however they want. I’m not particularly concerned. I simply put in the effort and strive to improve every day. I know I’m a great player, and I’ll do everything I can to stay on the field and prepare my body and mind to play.”

Haniger’s locker neighbor, Wilmer Flores, understands the difficulty of getting hurt so soon after joining a new team. He signed with the Diamondbacks in 2019 and suffered a foot fracture in May, sidelining him for two months.

“That was pretty bad. Every day is exhausting. It’s all the same. You have no idea when you will return. “It’s difficult,” Flores said. “However, he’s handled it well. He’s an expert. I was still a little hurt when I returned. I just wanted to have fun. I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing.”

It’s been an even bigger gut punch for Haniger, who grew up in Santa Clara dreaming of one day playing for the Giants.

Even though he was dealing with the familiar drum beat of rehabilitation, he was impressed with his experience.

“When I was a free agent, I’d heard about all the great things about playing for the Giants, and so far, everything has lived up to and exceeded it,” he said. “How they treat you as a player and your family is not consistent throughout the league.” That is a priority here, and I believe it speaks volumes about this organization and its people.

“I had a great time growing up in the Bay Area.” It’s always been a dream of mine to be a Giant, so it’s exciting to put on the jersey. It makes it even more special. I am determined to return and win for this city. That is the intention.”

Haniger is making $5 million this season after receiving a $6 million signing bonus, but his salary will increase to $17 million in 2024 before he has the option to opt out or opt in at a rate of $15.5 million after that season.

He’s been able to add value even while on the road. Flores stated that he will pick Haniger’s brain on upcoming pitchers.

“He’s just one of those guys.” Flores described it as “ideal for the clubhouse.” “I like how he prepares for games. When he goes out there, he is well-prepared. I always ask him about pitchers and what they have, how I should approach this thing, and other such questions. I’ll approach a pitcher if I haven’t faced him before.”

The Giants were on a 10-game winning streak at the time of Haniger’s injury, bringing their record from 32-32 to 42-32. They climbed as high as 13 games above.500 while he was out, but a prolonged offensive slump has them only slightly better than when he was out.

Despite Haniger’s.230/.281/.372 batting line prior to his injury, which was well below league average and his career marks, the Giants ranked in the top ten in the majors in runs scored, home runs, OPS, and wRC+. Since then, they’ve fallen off a cliff, ranking last in OPS (.652), second-to-last in homers (49) and wRC+ (80), and fifth-to-last in runs (219).

“It will probably come as no surprise that some of these things will keep you up (at night), and I’ve spent some time figuring out how we are going to be successful going forward, and the one thing that I kept coming back to is staying healthy,” manager Gabe Kapler recently stated. “If you give us our full group — if you give us that group and run it out there for the rest of the season, we’re going to score a lot of runs.”