With multiple smaller-market and unheralded teams competing for the final National League Wild Card slot, one might have reasonably assumed that the playoff picture would be a bit clearer by mid-September. That cannot be farther from the truth, however. All of these gritty groups have remained firmly in the fight. The San Francisco Giants are one such “scrapper” who appear to be getting back the firepower they might need to emerge from this crowded pack.

“Gabe Kapler said {he} had Michael Conforto in today’s lineup as the DH before it was rained out,” Evan Webeck of Mercury News and the East Bay Times reported Tuesday. “So likelihood is he’s activated tomorrow (Friday). He declined to share what the corresponding roster move would be. Logan Webb will start Friday, and after that it’s TBD.”

That is good news for Giants fans. Conforto has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Aug. 25, in which time the club has gone on quite the see-saw ride. San Fran lost some ground in the postseason race after losing six-straight games to start September. Since then, though, Kapler's squad has won five of its last six.

Although Conforto has a modest .251/.343/.405 slash line in 111 games this season, he can add some pop to a Giants lineup that ranks in the bottom half of the MLB in most offensive categories. The 2017 NL All-Star has 15 home runs, which, believe it or not, is the third most on the team.

Unfortunately, the weather has forced fans to wait just a bit longer for his return. But it has been a highly successful day off all the same, with the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins all losing on Thursday. The Giants (75-71) now sit in a tie for the third Wild Card position.

We will see if Michael Conforto can be the extra spark this team needs for the final stretch of the regular season. A weekend series at the Colorado Rockies' Coors Field will give him every opportunity to hit the ground running.