Hunter Pence placed on disabled list with oblique strain

San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence is headed back to disabled list after an MRI revealed an oblique strain, according to Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area.

Giants expect Pence out a couple weeks. They'll play a man short tomorrow, Aoki returns Thursday.

— Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) August 19, 2015

This is Pence's third DL stint this season, although he has been impressive when he's managed to stay on the field. A slash line of .274/.327/.478 to go with nine homers in 223 plate appearances is good, but his absence from the middle of the Giants lineup has made it much harder to keep up with the Dodgers in the NL West.

Besides Pence, it's been an injury riddled season for the Giants as a whole. Nori Aoki, who will replace Pence, is currently on his second disabled list stint with a concussion after missing more than a month with a fractured fibula. Angel Pagan, penciled in as the starting center fielder on Opening Day, is also on the disabled list.

The defending champs may not have a couple of weeks to spare, however, as they chase the Dodgers for the division title and the Pirates and Cubs for a Wild Card. They are also running out of potential options to fill in their outfield holes as Will Venable was traded by the Padres to the Rangers yesterday.

If the Giants want to make an acquisition, they will need to do so before August 31st passes so that player is eligible for the postseason roster. With 12 days remaining until then, a lot can happen, but time is definitely working against them and they run the risk of being left out of the postseason if they can't respond quickly.