Matt Chapman's expected return to Giants lineup from IL outlined by Bob Melvin

Matt Chapman’s expected return to Giants lineup from IL outlined by Bob Melvin originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

WEST SACRAMENTO – Giants manager Bob Melvin said that he expects third baseman Matt Chapman to be activated off the Injured List in time to play against the Athletics on Saturday.

Chapman, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, has been out since June 9 with right hand inflammation. The 32-year-old had a .243 batting average with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs before he got hurt.

The Giants have missed both his bat and glove, although Brett Wisely made a Chapman-esque play to get an out during the Giants’ win over the Diamondbacks on Thursday in Arizona.

Melvin said Chapman has been taking live batting practice and hitting off a high-velocity pitching machine. The veteran third baseman lobbied to be activated Friday so that he could play against his former team.

Instead, Chapman remained with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate and is scheduled to play Friday in Reno with the River Cats because the coaching staff wanted him to get some playing time before rejoining the big-league club.

“Obviously, he wanted to get back right away but it’s been a month,” Melvin explained. “We want to get him on the field, get some at-bats and see how he feels the next day. We anticipate him being here tomorrow to play. That’s what we anticipate.”

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