ATLANTA — For weeks, it’s appeared as if the San Francisco Giants would need to make a very tough roster decision when LaMonte Wade Jr. comes off the injured list, considering how well rookie Luis González has played.
González’s health is now a potential concern, however. The outfielder, whose .302 average tops the team, had an MRI for lower back discomfort Thursday, and after the results showed a back strain, the Giants placed him on the IL.
According to González, he missed two weeks last season with a similar problem. A long flight back to San Francisco after Thursday’s game won’t help much, either.
Wade homered Wednesday in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento and while the team will not bring him back early if he’s not physically ready, he could be at the point where he’s a legitimate consideration, especially with a need.
“I would just say they’re loosely related,” Kapler said of González’s health and Wade’s potential availability. “Independently, LaMonte is swinging the bat well and looks pretty hitter-ish in the batter’s box by all accounts. From what I’ve seen in short clips, his swing looks great.”
If Wade isn’t quite ready to come off the IL, the Giants could take a quick look at a new left-handed hitting outfielder: Willie Calhoun, although that would require a 40-man roster move. Calhoun is expected to report to Sacramento.
With Steven Duggar’s 60-day IL stint set to expire Thursday, the Giants swapped him to the Rangers for Calhoun, who requested a deal last month after being demoted and who cleared waivers and was outrighted earlier this month.
They’ve got some similarities: Calhoun, who played at Benicia High School, is 27, a year younger than Duggar, but they share the same birthday, Nov. 4, and Duggar has played in 254 big-league games, Calhoun 253. Calhoun has more power, with 36 career homers, but Duggar is faster, with 18 steals. Calhoun was batting .217 at Triple-A Round Rock and Duggar .204 at Sacramento.
Kapler knows Calhoun from the Dodgers system, and he’s enthusiastic about the acquisition, saying, “I’m personally excited about it, I really like Willie. I think he can really swing the bat, he can make contact with pitches anywhere in the zone and has a history of hitting a lot of line drives to the pull side. I’ve known him for a really long time, I know what his strengths are, and I’m excited that he’s a Giant.”
Before Thursday’s game, the Giants recalled infielder Donovan Walton. Walton was added to the taxi squad Wednesday because of Brandon Crawford’s left knee contusion. Crawford remained out of the lineup Thursday but Kapler said he had been available to use in the event of an emergency.
Susan Slusser covers the Giants for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser