Affeldt activated from DL, Osich optioned

SAN DIEGO -- Josh Osich's final impression of his nine-game stint with the Giants wasn't an especially pleasant one. Fortunately for the left-hander, he'll almost surely receive the opportunity to make more big league memories.

The Giants opted to activate Jeremy Affeldt from the disabled, reinstating the left-handed reliever on Wednesday. Clearing roster room for Affeldt forced San Francisco to option Osich to Triple-A Sacramento, one day after the rookie lefty allowed three runs and three hits to the Padres in 1 1/3 innings. Those runs were unearned, however, freezing Osich's ERA at 0.00.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy emphasized that Osich's outing here had nothing to do with his demotion. Mostly, Bochy heaped praise upon Osich, who surrendered four hits and struck out six in 7 1/3 innings as a Giant. Osich displayed a lively 95-mph fastball complemented by an effective cutter and changeup.

Video: PHI@SF: Osich strikes out Francoeur to end the threat

"He'll be back up here," Bochy said. "I told him, 'You should be proud of where you are.' He has played his way back into being a top prospect for us."

Along with left-hander Steven Okert and right-handers Hunter Strickland and Michael Broadway, Osich forms a nucleus of potential reinforcements for the Giants' bullpen, which remains dominated by the "Core Four" of Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo and Affeldt, who recovered from a strained shoulder.

"We have some power arms -- guys who are making progress and improvement," Bochy said. "It's really encouraging."