CINCINNATI -- The San Francisco Giants activated right fielder Hunter Pence off the disabled list Saturday, giving the defending World Series champions a big boost to their struggling offense.
And Pence performed well in his first game, going 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored in an 11-2 Giants win.
"I'm just happy to be back playing again and being healthy," Pence said.
Pence was hit by a pitch during spring training and broke his left forearm just above the wrist. He felt good during a one-week rehab assignment in the minors, prompting the Giants to fly him in for the rest of their series against the Cincinnati Reds.
"It's just nice to have him back and have his energy in the dugout and on the field," Brandon Crawford said. "To have him flying around the bases like that, it's fun to watch."
Pence made an immediate impact. He had hits in his first two at-bats off Mike Leake (2-2), helping San Francisco pull ahead 5-0.
"My timing is good," Pence said. "I was seeing the ball great. I feel extremely strong and extremely fast, and the wrist feels healthy."
Entering Saturday, San Francisco had stranded 279 runners, the most in the majors, and was batting .233 with runners in scoring position.
"We're looking forward to it," left-hander Madison Bumgarner said after beating the Reds on Friday night. "We've missed him, not just as a player but his presence in the dugout and on the field."
Pence batted sixth Saturday. Manager Bruce Bochy wanted to see how Pence's swing looked before moving him higher in the batting order.
"Right now I just want him to get settled in," Bochy said. "He has not played a lot. This is not where he's going to hit [for long]. It allows me to get a better feel of where he's at with the bat."
Bochy plans to give Pence an occasional day off as he gets back into playing shape. Pence was replaced by Justin Maxwell in right field in the sixth inning Saturday.
The Giants also have missed Matt Cain and Jake Peavy, who went on the disabled list last month. They lost eight in a row in April to fall to 3-9 but moved above .500 at 19-18 after Saturday's win.
"They've been playing some really good baseball," Pence said. "They had one stretch -- you hit those from time to time -- and they bounced out of it and answered. ... We have an incredible unit here, so I'm excited to be joining that unit and being part of it."
The Giants optioned catcher Hector Sanchez to Triple-A Sacramento. Sanchez batted .194 in 18 games with one RBI.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.