Bumgarner: Body fine, delivery not
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Madison Bumgarner called it a plus that his foot and rib cage felt better than he had predicted when he threw 60 pitches Saturday after missing a start. The minus? “My delivery was terrible,” he said after allowing five runs over 22⁄ innings in Saturday’s
3 9-1 loss to the A’s. “It’s not quite where I want it. It’s not too far away either. My timing is off, and my rhythm.”
Bumgarner’s spring ERA is 10.57. None of the five projected starters has one better than Jeff Samardzija’s 8.31. That might be a red flag if the April 4 opener were closer.
The issue remains the readiness of Matt Cain and Johnny Cueto, who together have combined for seven Cactus League innings. Cueto will not add to his total Sunday. Instead of facing the Rockies, the Giants will have him throw in a minor- league game to control his innings and hide him from a division foe.
Manager Bruce Bochy remained adamant that Cain and Cueto are “on target” to take their first regular-season turns, but in the same breath said he loves the way potential replacements Chris Heston and Clayton Blackburn have thrown.
“If we have to give these guys a break,” Bochy said, referring to Cain and Cueto, “we have depth this year.”
Cain reported his arm felt fine after his debut Friday night. Bumgarner’s issue Saturday was not arm strength, but mechanics. He revealed he has been struggling there all spring and as far back as last season.
“It’s frustrating that it even happens,” Bumgarner said. “That’s just a fact of life. It’s going to happen. I feel I can turn it around.”
Bumgarner has not swung a bat since he pulled something in his rib cage last week but said he does not care if his next at-bat comes on Opening Day. Blanco returns: Gregor Blanco, such an important bench player, revealed that the cause of his week off was a left oblique injury he suffered in a March 12 game against the Angels.
He returned as the designated hitter Saturday and singled in two at-bats. He has been throwing and will play again Sunday. Briefly: Adalberto Mejia will start for the Giants against the Rockies at Salt River Field. Buster Posey will catch Mejia while Trevor Brown catches Cueto in the minor-league game. Bochy said catcher Andrew Susac was “close” to returning from wrist inflam- mation. ... The Giants scratched first baseman Brandon Belt, but he was not hurt. He played Friday night and they wanted him to face Colorado on Sunday.