Entering the 2026 MLB season, which officially kicks off on Wednesday night for the San Francisco Giants, the team wanted to be healthy from the get-go.

A majority of Giants players are in good shape. But outfielder Harrison Bader is not one of those healthy players right now.

Bader is dealing with hamstring tightness, something that has kept him out of the San Francisco lineup recently. He didn't play on Monday night in the Giants' 10-2 exhibition game victory over Sultanes de Monterrey. Both teams play another exhibition game on Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

Right now, it looks like Bader might miss that contest, too. Giants manager Tony Vitello is taking things day by day with Bader.

"He’s doing everything possible today pregame,” Vitello said ahead of Monday night's game according to MLB.com reporter Adrian Garro. “I’m going off reports from the medical staff, but I’m also going off conversations with him, and he feels really good where he’s at.

"He’s literally out there hugging his teammates and doing everything he needs to do," Vitello said. "So unless there’s some sort of setback from today, I’d assume next day would be even more, and the next day would be even more.”

When asked if he thought Bader would be ready for the opener on Wednesday night, Vitello said that he thought Bader is going to be good to go. Yet he also left the door open that, with it being Opening Day, Bader might be amped up about that and try and possibly overcompensate his injury situation.

In the 2025 MLB season, Bader split time between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. Now with the Giants, Vitello hopes that Bader can be a steadying influence in the outfield.

Bader put together a slash line of .277/.347/.796 between those two teams. He hit 17 home runs and collected 54 RBIs for the Twins and Phillies. Bader also showed some speed on the basepaths, swiping 11 bases.

No one has to get Vitello amped up for Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees. Vitello is chomping at the bit to get this season underway. After all, this is his first MLB season as a big-league manager.

“I'm excited to get to Wednesday,” Vitello said. “You guys have already brought it up, [there are] plenty of tough decisions, a lot of travel, a lot of going back and forth, a lot of different things to handle. But when the game starts, it's just the game."

In case you didn't know, Max Fried will get the Opening Night start for the Yankees against the Giants' Logan Webb. While the season starts on Wednesday night, Opening Day will officially be on Thursday,

The Yankees-Giants game will be available on Netflix, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET. A pregame show, anchored by former ESPN anchor Elle Duncan along with a bevy of analysts and guests, will air at 7 p.m. ET.

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