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.

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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.

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“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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