Williamson nears return

HOUSTON — Bruce Bochy didn’t waver. Asked which was more dangerous, Tal’s Hill — the old incline in dead center field at Minute Maid Park, which was removed two years ago — or the on-field bullpen mounds at AT&T Park.

“I’d say my bullpen mounds,” Bochy said. “I’ve got a guy on the DL right now.”

The Giants’ manager was referring to outfielder Mac Williamson, who has been missing for a month after tripping over a mound April 24 pursuing a ball and landing on the concussion list. The A’s and Rays are the only other teams with bullpen mounds on the field, and the Giants have no plan to move theirs.

The good news is that Williamson soon might return to the Giants. Bochy said it could happen this weekend in Chicago. Williamson has played less than a week at Triple-A Sacramento since returning from the concussion list but homered his first two games and collected two hits Tuesday.

“It’s a possibility, sure,” Bochy said. “If you look at how

much he’s playing and doing, sure. … He’s real close. The good thing with Mac and all the time he’s missed, he’s gone down there and continued to swing the bat well.”

The question is the corresponding roster move and whether the Giants would remove a position player or lessen the pitching staff to 12, which might be tough with a series in Coors Field following the weekend set at Wrigley Field.

Progress report: Though Williamson is close to a bigleague return, left fielder Hunter Pence might not be despite performing well with his revamped swing patterned after Williamson’s.

“I give him credit for how hard he’s working,” Bochy said. “I just think he needs a few more at-bats with this.”

Another Sacramento outfielder eyeing the big leagues is Steven Duggar, who has slipped at the plate and needs to cut down on strikeouts.

“Just let him play,” Bochy said. “He’s where he should be, and that’s playing every day.”

Family affair: Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford got gifts after homering off his brother-in-law, Houston’s Gerrit Cole, on Tuesday. Cole said he sent Crawford his cleats and wrote “adios pelota” and “outta here” on them, the home run calls by Giants’ broadcasters.

Amy Cole, Crawford’s sister and Cole’s wife, provided this on Twitter:

“G to B: ‘That was my favorite home run I’ve ever given up’

“B to G: ‘That was my least favorite home run I’ve ever hit’

“^Same to both”

Second basemen updates: Joe Panik (broken thumb) took on-field batting practice for the second straight day and could begin a rehab assignment next week ... Alen Hanson (strained hamstring) is three or four days from playing games at Sacramento as part of a rehab assignment.