SAN FRANCISCO -- Mac Williamson finds himself in a familiar position. He is again getting hot at Triple-A, showing the kind of power that the big league team could use, but there are a couple of wrinkles this time around.
First and foremost, the Giants are now run by an executive, Farhan Zaidi, who designated Williamson for assignment a month ago. That led to the second wrinkle, the fact that Williamson is no longer on the 40-man roster and the team would have to clear a spot to take another look at him.
That's not to say it won't happen. On Sunday, manager Bruce Bochy said he "wouldn't be surprised to see (Williamson) at some point this year."
But nothing is imminent, despite the offensive struggles from the big league club and Williamson's recent success.
Williamson, in limbo at the end of the spring, has put himself back in the discussion with a torrid streak over the last couple of weeks. He's batting .371 and slugging .613, with four homers and three doubles in 15 appearances. He does, however, have just two walks to 18 strikeouts.
"He's doing what he needs to do," Bochy said. "He is playing well, getting hits and swinging well."
Sports
Bochy said the reports he's getting are that Williamson is close to where he was last April when he forced his way back into the picture, although the power numbers are down a notch. But Williamson, 28, was in a different spot with the organization a year ago.
Last year, the Giants wanted to see if the homegrown slugger could supplant a struggling Hunter Pence. This year, he already has been put on waivers so the Giants could take a look at Michael Reed and Connor Joe. When they didn't work out, Zaidi dealt for Kevin Pillar and Tyler Austin.
Austin hasn't tapped into his power yet but has a .394 OBP and should see more time in left moving forward. Gerardo Parra has been the main starter out there, and while he brings above-average defense, he's getting on base at just a .286 clip and slugging .275. The Giants have also played Brandon Belt in left at times and Yangervis Solarte started there Sunday. Overall, they have the worst left field OPS in the NL by nearly 100 points.
[RELATED: Giants have long journey ahead after being swept by Yankees]
So, they're not exactly humming along in the outfield. And with 24 homers as a team, the Giants again rank near the bottom of the league. But Zaidi seems more inclined to try to trade for additional help, and Bochy said no changes are on the way at the moment.
"For that to happen somebody here has to get injured, and you really don't want to see that," he said.
