Bumgarner toes rubber
Madison Bumgarner passed his latest test by throwing off a mound for the first time since he broke his left pinkie on March 23, the final day of the Cactus League.
“I feel good,” he said Monday after tossing 20 pitches, all fastballs. “The only thing now is building arm strength and getting the pitch count up. Everything feels completely normal now.”
Bumgarner is eligible to come off the disabled list May 25, but manager Bruce Bochy said it’s unrealistic to think the lefty will be activated that soon because he will make at least two rehab starts.
Bumgarner will throw off a mound again Wednesday (and mix in off-speed pitches) and Saturday. From there, he’ll throw to hitters next week in Houston, where the Giants begin an eight-game trip, and then begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
That would push his return
to early June, meeting the team’s initial prognosis.
“It’s hard to be at that happy medium and not try to ramp it up too fast and then cause a setback with your arm getting ready and getting in shape,” Bumgarner said. “But it’s also hard to harness that and hold it back when you want to get back out there. I feel like we’ve been definitely aggressive but not too aggressive.”
Admittedly, it has been tough for Bumgarner to miss significant time for a second straight season. In 2017, he was out three months with shoulder and rib injuries after a dirt bike accident.
“Last year was obviously my fault. Those emotions are a little bit different,” Bumgarner said. “This year was just a freak thing, the last day of spring, and such a small thing at that. It’s amazing how much that pinkie can affect you, not just in baseball but everyday life, too. I’m definitely ready to get back out there.”
Mark Melancon also threw off a mound, 25 pitches. The Giants haven’t given a timetable for his return
Roster moves: Austin Slater was promoted from Triple-A Sacramento to replace second baseman Alen Hanson, who was put on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
Slater had a single, walk and two steals in Monday night’s win over Cincinnati but apparently is heading back to Sacramento. The Giants need an infielder and will add second baseman Miguel Gomez, a .297 hitter at Double-A Richmond.
Slater has experience at second (96 games in 2015) but primarily is an outfielder. Recently, he has been learning first base and appeared at first in two games at Sacramento.
Bochy said Hanson could be on the disabled list up to two weeks.
John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer.