SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner was on the dugout rail Monday when Hunter Strickland and Bryce Harper squared up. Bumgarner has been at the center of more on-field incidents than any Giant, but, with a strained shoulder, he could do nothing but stare and then walk toward a dugout tunnel sat teammates charged the mound.
Perhaps it was no surprise, then, that Bumgarner walked out into left field Tuesday afternoon with a glove tucked under his arm, three days ahead of schedule. The Giants had planned to have Bumgarner play catch Friday in Philadelphia, but he threw about 45 soft pitches in front of the team’s trainers, physical therapist and coaches.
“He’s been doing so well he wanted to bump it up and the training staff said (he could),” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He came out of it pretty good.”
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Bumgarner started at 45 feet and moved out to 60. Pitching coach Dave Righetti and head trainer Dave Groeschner said they were pleased with the way he looked, and bullpen catcher Taira Uematsu — who caught Bumgarner — said he looked normal and unrestricted.
Bumgarner flashed a huge smile as he shook Uematsu’s hand after the session. He’ll keep stretching out the flat-ground sessions and then move to a bullpen mound. The Giants still expect to be without their ace for another six to eight weeks, but he appears to have had no hiccups during what could have been a complicated rehab process.
--- It was no surprise when Mac Williamson was optioned back to Triple-A a day after two strikeouts. Bochy said Williamson was going to have his playing time cut with Hunter Pence on the way back, and the Giants want him to get daily at-bats. It could be a while before we see Williamson back up here, with Calixte now getting a look and Jarrett Parker a few days from a rehab assignment. It’ll be up to him to force the issue.
Pence, by the way, ran the bases for the first time since getting hurt. He’ll likely begin a rehab assignment Thursday. Conor Gillaspie (back tightness) is a couple days behind him.
