WEST SACRAMENTO — The Giants were initially hoping to get third baseman Matt Chapman back for their final series before the All-Star break, but his return now appears to be ahead of schedule.

Chapman went 0-for-3 with a walk and played five innings at third in his first rehab game for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, putting him on track to rejoin the Giants at Sutter Health Park on Saturday. If all goes as expected, the five-time Gold Glove winner will likely be activated off the injured list before San Francisco’s second game against the A’s, which would mark his first game since suffering a right hand sprain on June 8.

The Giants (47-42) certainly looked in desperate need of a boost on Friday night, as they were steamrolled, 11-2, by the A’s in one of their most lopsided defeats of the year. Justin Verlander, who was pitching on the 20-year anniversary of his MLB debut, surrendered a season-high six earned runs over three innings, leaving him winless through his first 14 starts for San Francisco.

“I feel like I was pretty easy to hit tonight,” said Verlander, who lamented his lack of deception. “Frankly, embarrassing. I need to be better than that. I thought I found something in between starts that was going to help and send me in the right direction. It didn’t, so back to the drawing board.”

The Giants never came close to overcoming the early deficit, as they collected only three hits against A’s starter JP Sears and committed three errors, including two by third basemen Sergio Alcántara and Brett Wisely.

“It was bad,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ve had a couple of these games in the last week that are uncharacteristic of how we play. That’s the part that bothered me the most about this game. It just looked like there was a lack of focus on the defensive end. That’s a concern.”

It would be unrealistic to expect Chapman to single-handedly fix all of the Giants’ woes, but he should at least help stabilize the left side of the infield with his Gold Glove defense at third.

Chapman, 32, was batting .243 with an .812 OPS and 12 home runs over 65 games before jamming his throwing hand while attempting to avoid getting picked off at first base last month. His hand felt good after taking batting practice and hitting off a high-velocity machine in Arizona earlier this week, though Melvin acknowledged that it might take him some time to find his swing again once he returns.

“The at-bats are the things that you worry about a little bit,” Melvin said. “But the intensity he brings on the field every day — he’s kind of the heartbeat of the team. We’d like him back sooner than later. I think it’s more about that. Will he be up to speed as far as the at-bats go? It kind of just depends on how the first few go. If you can get a couple of hits and you feel good right away, then you hit the ground running. If not, sometimes it might take a little bit.”

Melvin said Chapman is considering wearing a protective glove on his hand — better known as an “oven mitt” — to avoid more baserunning injuries in the future.

“I think after what happened and how long he was out, it’s certainly gotten his attention,” Melvin said. “He’s a good baserunner, whether it’s first-to-third, first-to-home, second-to-home. He’s one of our best baserunners, and he does it pretty aggressively, so it might be the right move for him.”

Casey Schmitt (left hand inflammation) is also progressing well and is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. He will be eligible to return from the IL on Monday at the earliest and will likely take over as the club’s starting second baseman once he’s back in the fold.