Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada activated from IL; Matt Beaty released

Per Susan Slusser, the San Francisco Giants have taken a big step forward in having their full lineup back in action. This will be a critical series for the team as Coors Field is no joke. It’s a house of horrors and you’d better be prepared to score in bunches.

Getting back Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada will go a long way towards their chances. The pair have been activated ahead of game one of this three game series against the Colorado Rockies.

Pederson has been absent from the lineup since May 12 and was hitting .235/.351/.494 before landing on the IL with a hand contusion following a hit by pitch. He helped kickstart the team’s turnaround in May following a tough April, with a .913 OPS in 8 games before the HBP. He also had a .422 Win Probability Added in those 8 games.

For Estrada, it’s been an All-Star season and coming off a 10-day IL stint will be a big deal in terms of keeping pace with some of his statistical leaders, but also the narrative leader, Mr. .400 Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins. Besides playing stellar defense at second base, he’s hit .301/.345/.466 in 206 PA (47 games), but his May line of .247.287.393 is the reverse of Pederson’s in terms of ultimately helping the Giants (just a .100 WPA, too).

Together, the lineup gets some length with some more contact skill and power added to the mix as well as an improvement on defense.

To make room for them, Bryce Johnson (.542 OPS in 24 PA) and Brett Wisely were optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

It’s been an interesting ride. You could see his utility as a hustle guy and lefty bat, and seemed to play solid defense up the middle at second and centerfield, but an error in the field and getting thrown out at home plate in the Baltimore series combined with his line of .180/.207/.295 (83 PA) coming into that series plainly shows that he’s at best a bench option right now and due to his options and performance, easily optioned.

Unrelated: Matt Beaty cleared waivers and opted for his release, and the weird move right as the season started is finally a closed matter.