The return of Hunter Pence has given the Giants a boost. (Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)
CINCINNATI — Hunter Pence provided an instant spark for the San Francisco Giants when he returned from the disabled list Saturday.
The right fielder’s return also creates something of a conundrum for manager Bruce Bochy, who now has a plethora of outfield options.
“I’m going to have to get creative to keep everybody sharp,” Bochy said.
The key part of that focus might be Justin Maxwell, who started 24 games in right field while Pence was recovering from a fractured left forearm he sustained during spring training.
Maxwell has seven RBIs in his past 12 games. His 16 RBIs rank third on the team.
Despite missing most of spring training and first five weeks of the regular season, Pence has his arm at 100 percent and his legs are fresh, meaning Maxwell’s time will be limited.
“He understands,” Bochy said of Maxwell. “He did a nice job filling in for Hunter. He played great defense, supplied offense. He picked us up when we needed it.”
Then there is left field.
Bochy couldn’t be more pleased with how Gregor Blanco is playing.
Blanco batted .400 (6-for-15) on the just-concluded current road trip with two doubles, a homer and three walks.
With Nori Aoki batting .230 in his past 21 games, Bochy’s decision to play Blanco became easier. However, it is still necessary to keep Aoki fresh. On Saturday, Aoki replaced center fielder Angel Pagan, who left in the sixth with back spasms, and promptly tripled, an indication he might be breaking out of his slump.
Aoki went 3-for-6 with three RBIs on Sunday in the Giants’ 9-8 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
With a largely veteran group, Bochy says he is not concerned about massaging egos, more about keeping guys fresh and their swings in order.
“We have a pretty unselfish group,” Bochy said. “They understand. We need to keep everybody sharp. They know Hunter is going to be in there every day.”
Pence, who went 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored in his season debut on Saturday, said his injury could prove to be a blessing for the team at large. He went 2-for-5 with his first homer of the season Sunday.
“You can never see the end from the beginning, but it’s my belief that things happen for a reason,” he said. “There’s a couple of guys who got some at-bats who will be able to help us out at some point. We’ve seen what (Justin) Maxwell can do. He took advantage of his opportunity.”
