Giants trade Austin Slater off Illinois, option Luis Matos to Triple-A – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

SAN FRANCISCO – Less than three weeks after being named National League Most Valuable Player, Luis Matos is back in Triple-A.

The Giants optioned Matos on Wednesday morning, freeing up a roster spot for Austin Slater, who returned from a concussion and went straight back into the lineup as a center fielder against lefty Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Slater has not played since May 10, when he collided with the center court wall at Oracle Park.

For a few weeks after that injury, it seemed like the Giants would have a very difficult time finding a roster spot when he returned. Heliot Ramos and Matos gave the Giants a boost, as Matos enjoyed a historic weekend filled with RBI home runs that led to weekly accolades. Ramos continued to hit, and is now the Giants’ best position player, but Matos fell into a deep slump.

Since driving in 11 runs in back-to-back games, Matos is batting .153 with zero extra base hits in 63 games. He has a .343 OPS in his last 14 games, and Giants coaches have tried to make him more selective in recent weeks. Matos was aggressive early in the counts, leading to a lot of quick strikes. He has drawn just three times in 21 matches during this latest call-up.

“Aggressivity is kind of his personality, but you can be too aggressive,” manager Bob Melvin said on the Giants Talk Podcast this week. “He was getting some good pitches to hit early when he first got here and he became the player of the week. Now, the league’s starting to learn you a little bit and (it’s), look, we can get a few inches off target.” Painting or whatever. The next adjustment is to make sure you have good pitches to hit and swing at at-bats.

“That’s what he’s struggling with right now. You don’t want to completely take away his aggressiveness, but there’s always adjustments you have to make over the course of the season, especially in the big leagues, and I think that’s what it is for him right now.”

The Giants will try to get the 22-year-old back on track with everyday play in Triple-A. With Jung Hoo Lee done for the year, they are out of everyday quarterback options, but both Slater and Mike Yastrzemski have plenty of experience there and could join the platoon right now. Tyler Fitzgerald and Brett Wesley can also play center as needed.

Slater hit just .128 in 49 separate games before getting hurt, but his career hit against lefties is above .800, and Melvin will take another look to see if he can help spark a lineup that hasn’t scored much since Matos entered a slump and Lamont Wade Jr. got hurt.

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