Austin Slater - Starts in right field in exhibition Slater (elbow) will start in right field and bat second Monday in the Giants' exhibition versus the Athletics. Impact After he was limited in the early stages of spring training while completing his recovery from the right elbow surgery he underwent Oct. 11, Slater made his spring debut Feb. 24, but he didn't return to the lineup until March 9 after experiencing a minor setback in his recovery. Manager Bob Melvin noted Friday that Slater recently experienced more soreness in his surgically repaired elbow, but the 31-year-old outfielder has since seemingly quelled some of the concern about his availability for Opening Day. He returned to action for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks and went 0-for-3 while serving as a backup designated hitter, then made a start at DH in a minor-league game Sunday. Slater's inclusion in the lineup in the outfield Monday implies that the elbow issue is no longer hindering him on defense or at the plate, so if he can come out of the game without any setbacks, he should be in good position to make the Opening Day roster. The right-handed-hitting Slater is likely to fill the short side of a platoon in the outfield with either Michael Conforto or Mike Yastrzemski during the upcoming season.
MARCH 25 • ROTOWIRE