Giants Designate LaMonte Wade Jr., Huff Amid Offensive Slump

The San Francisco Giants have designated infielder-outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. and catcher Sam Huff for assignment amid ongoing offensive struggles. Wade, who hit a career-high .260 last season, has slumped to a .167 batting average in 50 games this year, leading to the team's decision to seek fresh options. The Giants signed veteran first baseman Dominic Smith to a one-year major league contract and promoted outfielder Daniel Johnson and catcher Andrew Knizner from Triple-A Sacramento, while optioning infielder Christian Koss back to Triple-A. Manager Bob Melvin and president of baseball operations Buster Posey acknowledged the difficulty of the move but emphasized the need to boost the offense, which has scored four or fewer runs in 16 consecutive games—their second longest such streak since 1958. Wade is expected to clear waivers due to his $5 million salary and likely will find another opportunity with a different team. The Giants have lost 14 of their last 23 games, with their offense particularly struggling over the past two weeks.