Span OK with move to left
Denard Span has played 1,178 games in his big-league career, appearing in center field in all but 150.
He hasn’t played another position in eight years.
But if the Giants want him to move to left field next season, he said Friday, he’s all in. Manager Bruce Bochy brought up the scenario with the 33-yearold Span this week.
“He just asked me how I thought about the possibility of moving over to left field, and I told him I had no problem with it,” Span said. “I told him if it’s going to help us win, I’m all for it.
“I told him I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish as a center fielder. I’ve played center field for a long time. If you look around the league, you don’t see too many everyday center fielders who are 33 years old. By the same token, I think I can still play center.”
Bochy said any switch would likely come in spring training, considering the difficulty of an in-season position change, especially for someone who hasn’t moved around the outfield since his mid-20s.
In the second year of a threeyear contract, Span is hitting .273 with a .323 on-base percentage, seven homers and 24 RBIs. He fares poorly in some defensive metrics, one that ranks him last among center fielders.
“Do I think I’m the worst center fielder? No, not at all,” Span said. “There’s a lot that goes into playing center field, especially here at AT&T Park. There are a lot of elements. Am I in my prime? No. But do I feel like I can play center field another year? Yes, I can.”
Briefly: Bochy said reliever
Mark Melancon’s rehab game Friday night would be a biggie for the team to gauge his progress, then Melancon took the mound for Class A San Jose and surrendered four runs on four hits (including a homer) and lasted two outs. He didn’t walk anyone; of his 22 pitches, 19 were strikes ... Outfielder Austin Slater (strained groin) could return by early September, Bochy said . ... Former Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco, now a Diamondback, was cheered during a betweeninnings scoreboard tribute. One of the highlights shown was his diving catch in the
Matt Cain perfect game.