Pence remains sidelined with wrist injury

NEW YORK -- The Giants had expected right fielder Hunter Pence to return to the lineup in time for the series opener against the Mets. However, he was out of the lineup again Tuesday because he still felt pain in his injured left wrist.

Pence, who injured the wrist while making a diving catch June 1, still felt discomfort while trying to take a few swings prior to the game. Manager Bruce Bochy said Pence was day to day and admitted the team has discussed the possibility of placing him on the disabled list -- something Bochy called a possibility although he was not ready to call it likely.

"We'd just like to wait until tomorrow," Bochy said before Tuesday's game. "See how he feels tomorrow, after taking a complete day off yesterday, and see how it responds to the few swings he took today."

Pence said his bone was fine and that the discomfort was likely the result of tendinitis built up from a lack of movement while his wrist was in a cast during recovery from the forearm fracture he suffered in Spring Training. Seven days have already passed since Pence last appeared in a game, so a retroactive stint on the 15-day disabled list would already be half over and allow the Giants to promote another player.

Initially Bochy said the Giants could afford to play a man short on their roster for now. However, Gregor Blanco -- who was supposed to start in right field for Pence -- was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup.

Bochy said after the game that Blanco was being tested for a possible concussion. The outfielder was hit by a Brandon Belt warmup throw during Sunday's series finale in Philadelphia and initially seemed fine before developing symptoms Tuesday.

Justin Maxwell started in Blanco's place and batted eighth.