Marco Scutaro might be running out of time.
The San Francisco Giants veteran isn’t close to getting into a spring training game, and manager Bruce Bochy is wondering if he should look at other second base options for Opening Day.
“It’s been slow progress,” Bochy said.
Scutaro was doing core work to limit the chances of further back trouble. He spent most of last season dealing with a sore back after it locked up on him.
While Bochy said Friday that if Scutaro weren’t playing or close to playing in a week, he’d consider Plan B, Scutaro was confident he could be ready for the season.
“I’ve seen improvement with my back,” said Scutaro, who was taking grounders and hitting soft toss and off a tee.
“You’d like him to have 30, 35 (spring training) at-bats, at least somewhere in there,” Bochy said.
Other possible options at second base include Joaquin Arias, Nick Noonan and Brandon Hicks. Arias and Hicks both backed up Scutaro for San Francisco last year. Hicks last appeared in the majors for the Oakland A’s in 2012.
Even if Scutaro is physically ready for the season, that’s just one stop.
“I don’t know if the timing will be there,” he said. “That takes time.”
NOTES, QUOTES
–RHP Sergio Romo had a 33.00 ERA through four exhibitions, and he hadn’t thrown sliders. He was working on a changeup and limiting his slider to side sessions. Romo said he was implementing a changeup “so when I need it, I can go to it.” As for the slider, “I don’t need to throw it in a game for me to say I got it. It’s there.”
–Former LF Barry Bonds is spending at least a week in training camp as a guest instructor. “I think it’ll be more reinforcing, so that whatever we’ve talked about will be the same as he’s saying,” batting coach Hensley Meulens said. “It’s just that they’re going to hear from arguably the best hitter in our era.” Other guest instructors to visit the Giants’ camp include Jeff Kent, J.T. Snow and Randy Winn.
–RHP Tim Lincecum threw five shutout innings in his first two appearances, striking out just one batter and walking one. “I’m OK with throwing any pitch in any count,” said Lincecum, who seems to have more of a pitch-to-contact approach than in previous years. He said he expects his velocity to increase from 89 to 91 mph “when I get my arm strength up and get extended a little bit more and get a feel for myself on the mound in a game atmosphere.”
–LHP Edwin Escobar, 21, was one of the positives early in the exhibition season, sporting a 1.50 ERA through March 9 appearance. He is insurance in case of a rotation injury, perhaps the No. 6 starter. He is penciled in to open the season with Triple-A Fresno. “He’s close. He’s knocking on the door now,” manager Bruce Bochy said.
–RHP Ryan Vogelsong was charged with seven runs (five earned) in 2 1/3 innings, snapping an impressive streak for Giants starting pitchers. The projected five starters, including Vogelsong, gave up one run in their first 23 innings. The other four starters: RHPs Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Tim Hudson and LHP Madison Bumgarner, who was picked to pitch Opening Day.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “They tell me we’re not doing it that way, but I’m doing it that way. I’m going to do it a little different.” — Manager Bruce Bochy, kidding that he would throw out a red flag to make a challenge for an instant replay, as if he were an NFL coach.