San Francisco Giants News and Notes: Matt Cain, Jake Peavy, Casey McGehee
It’s been a rough couple of seasons for San Francisco Giants‘ pitcher Matt Cain. After missing the second half of the 2014 season, Cain is on the disabled list due to a flexor strain in his right arm.
On Tuesday, Cain took a big step in his recovery, as he faced live hitters for the first time during his rehab. In a simulated inning, Cain threw 25 total pitches, and used every offering in his repertoire. He faced Joaquin Arias, Andrew Susac, and Justin Maxwell, and threw out of both the windup and the stretch.
Maxwell had some good things to say about Cain after the live batting practice session. The right-handed hitter told Andrew Baggarly from Mercury News that Cain’s pitches were “moving all over the place” and that the “ball jumps, and it has depth to it.” Both of those observations are quite encouraging for Cain.
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Despite the good news, the Giants will continue to bring Cain along slowly. General Manager Bobby Evans reiterated to KNBR on Tuesday that it is unlikely Cain will pitch in the big leagues before the All-Star break.
The next move for Cain is to face live hitters again, which he is supposed to do on the next homestand. That homestand opens up on Thursday, when the Giants welcome the Atlanta Braves to town for a four-game series. That series is followed by three with the Pittsburgh Pirates, so he might be able to squeeze in two sessions, if the team is so inclined.
Jake Peavy is set to make a big jump on Wednesday, as he will make his second rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento while recovering from a back injury that is keeping him on the disabled list. He made his first rehab start last week with the Advanced-A San Jose Giants, and pitched very well. He worked all the way up to his 50-pitch limit, and did so in 3.1 innings. He gave up just one hit while striking out four, and also walked one, with ball four coming on pitch number 50.
Whenever Peavy is ready, the Giants will have a tough decision to make. Ryan Vogelsong, who took Peavy’s place in the rotation is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA and 0.935 WHIP in the month of May. Vogelsong has earned his chance by anchoring the rotation in a time of dire need.
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There’s no real opening for Peavy in the five-man staff right now. Tim Hudson has been a weak spot so far this year, and Chris Heston‘s last two starts have been far from pretty. The Giants will have to try and to figure something out when the time comes.
Casey McGehee accepted his Triple-A assignment, so he will remain in the organization and join the Sacramento River Cats. But in a surprising twist, McGehee still had an option left, so he will also keep his spot on the Giants’ 40-man roster. That allows the Giants to bring him back to the major leagues and send him back to Triple-A as necessary, after the required 10-day minor league stint subsides.
McGehee made his Sacramento debut on Tuesday, playing his first minor league game since 2012, and before that, 2008. He played third base and batted second as the River Cats faced the Oakland Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, and old friend Barry Zito. McGehee was hitless in three at-bats against Zito, but singled off reliever Ryan Verdugo in the eighth inning.
The Giants plan to keep 13 pitchers on the roster until their next off-day on June 4th, but Andrew Baggarly theorized that the Giants could recall McGehee at that point, while whittling the pitching staff back down to the more traditional number of 12. That all depends on how McGehee performs in Triple-A, and if the Giants need to continue on with 13 pitchers. At this point, it’s all speculation.