Jerar Encarnacion Injury: Starting rehab assignment Saturday

Encarnacion (hand) is starting his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Encarnacion started the season on the injured list after fracturing his left hand in mid-March. He has steadily increased his baseball activities over the past two months and is taking the final step in his recovery program by embarking on a rehab assignment. Barring any setbacks, Encarnacion could be activated from the IL when first eligible May 23. He'll start at first base in Saturday's outing, and that could be where he gets most of his playing time when he returns to the majors while Wilmer Flores stays in the DH spot, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.