By Jeremy Harness

If you look at any World Series-contending team in the majors, they all have similar categories: solid pitching, timely hitting, and one other major component. They also have a solid table-setter at the top of the order.

The Giants’ pitching has been hit-or-miss throughout the season, as has been their hitting in key situations. However, the area that has consistently hurt them thus far in the 2014 campaign

Pagan initially landed on the disabled list June 25 with a nagging back lower back injury that has had him out of action since June 14, but the team is hopeful that he will be back in the fold as they prepare to make their stand in the second half of the season.

The Giants originally expected Pagan to be ready to go in time for their three-game series against St. Louis, but he suffered a setback in his recovery while running, as he experienced a bulging disc in his back, forcing him to see a back specialist in Los Angeles following that.

Injuries are nothing new to the veteran center fielder. Pagan played in only 71 games last season before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with a hamstring injury in late June.

Without Pagan at the top of the order, the Giants have struggled in large part in that part of their game. Since he has been out of the lineup, the team has had to use Gregor Blanco, who has been virtually useless at the plate and hardly gets on base anyway.

Hunter Pence has checked out fairly well in that position, but he has his biggest impact in the fifth spot in the lineup behind Pablo Sandoval, with the purpose of driving in runs.

In other words, in order for the Giants to make a big run in the second half – and put the memory of a horrible month of June in the rearview mirror – they desperately need to get Pagan back on the field. Without him, they will likely continue to have a tough time getting things started in the right direction.

And that does not bode well at all for a team that figures to be in a tooth-and-nail battle with the team in the Los Angeles Dodgers that far exceeds the Giants in raw talent.