Giants hold off on activating Affeldt from DL

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants delayed left-hander Jeremy Affeldt's reinstatement from the disabled list until Wednesday, giving themselves more time to address the difficulty of making a corresponding roster move.

"Right now, this is in a holding pattern," manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday.

Ordinarily, the Giants would drop a reliever while adding Affeldt. But each reliever viewed as most vulnerable to a demotion -- right-handers Juan Gutierrez and Jean Machi and left-hander David Huff -- has no Minor League options remaining. Any of the three would have to clear waivers before being sent to Triple-A Fresno.

Bochy did not rule out the possibility of using a 13-man pitching staff and dropping a position player.

Affeldt, who has been sidelined since late March with a sprained right knee, threw off a bullpen mound Tuesday.

Marco Scutaro's status remained unchanged, as Bochy related that the second baseman has continued to perform baseball-related activities while coping with his sore back at the Giants' Scottsdale, Ariz., training complex.

"I don't have a target date for [Scutaro's return]," Bochy said. "He's still having his really good days and days where he has to back off a little bit."