Pagan's successful return eases Giants' minds

SAN DIEGO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy says he's seen no trace of the hamstring injury that sidelined center fielder Angel Pagan for more than three months.

A full recovery for Pagan, who underwent hamstring surgery in June and returned to the lineup Friday, would give the Giants some stability heading into the offseason, when fellow outfielder Hunter Pence will be a free agent.

"It gives us a sense of comfort to go into the offseason -- the fact that we know that he's going to be fine next year," Bochy said. "And I think that playing here the next month is important for Angel, too, for his peace of mind."

In two games since his return, Pagan has gone 2-for-7 -- and he even stole a base Saturday. He sat out Sunday's game as a precaution but was back in the lineup and leading off Monday.

"He's running really well," Bochy said. "It amazes me, with the surgery that he had and what they did, how well he's doing. Getting down the line, he's shown no effects of any kind of surgery or the injury."

Entering Monday, Pagan had played in 48 games, during which he hit .263.