SAN FRANCISCO -- There were two new players in the clubhouse on Friday, and the shuffle is only just beginning.
Joe Panik was activated to play second base, with Kelby Tomlinson optioned back to the minors. Mark Melancon will be activated when the Giants clear a 40-man roster spot; they already cleared an active roster spot by optioning Tyler Beede back to the minors on Wednesday night.
On Saturday, Hunter Pence will return after a lengthy stint to let his thumb heal and overhaul his swing. The Giants will have to make another move, and it's possible that they'll have to cut Gregor Blanco or place Blanco or Austin Jackson on the DL. But that's not all ...
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Madison Bumgarner was confirmed as Tuesday's starter, and both 25-man and 40-man roster moves will be needed for that one. Alen Hanson is out of options and at some point the Giants will need to clear a spot for him, too.
It's a whirlwind, and the staff is currently trying to decide which hard decisions to make. They are also shifting roles. While Panik slid right back into the leadoff spot, manager Bruce Bochy said Pence will return as the fourth outfielder, behind Andrew McCutchen, Gorkys Hernandez and Mac Williamson, who will continue to play every day in left.
"I'll try to get him in there as much as I can," Bochy said of Pence. "(It will be) late in games, just like you would a normal fourth outfielder."
Melancon will not return as the closer. He likely will start in a sixth/seventh inning role.
San Francisco Giants
--- Dereck Rodriguez will make his first career start on Sunday. Bochy said he showed enough in an emergency relief outing to earn that assignment. Rodriguez is doing just fine after taking a liner off his right leg.
--- Ty Blach will shift to the bullpen to open a rotation spot and will serve as the long reliever. That's what the Giants envisioned for him at the end of the spring, but then Bumgarner got hurt and Blach ended up starting on Opening Day.
--- Panik played behind Bumgarner in San Jose last night. His assessment: "He looked good. He looked like normal Bum. He was arguing with the ump in the first inning."