LOS ANGELES -- Right-hander Johnny Cueto demonstrated his serious approach to pitching Friday by insisting on making at least one Minor League injury rehabilitation start before he returns to his place in the Giants' rotation.
Cueto, who hasn't appeared in a game since July 14 due to the blisters on his throwing hand that have bothered him most of the season, will make his first and possibly only tuneup start Monday or Tuesday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. Both Triple-A Sacramento and Class A Advanced San Jose are at home on those dates, so Cueto and the Giants have multiple options.
Speaking through translator Erwin Higueros, Cueto said if the Giants didn't require him to make a rehab start, he'd do it anyway, primarily to reassure himself that he has sufficiently recovered. Cueto noted the possible consequences of not making a thorough recovery are manifold.
"I can hurt myself, look bad and make the team look bad," he said.
Hwang to see weekend action
Employing righty-against-lefty percentages, the Giants recalled Jae-gyun Hwang from Triple-A Sacramento in the hopes of strengthening their weekend matchups against the Dodgers.
Bochy said Hwang, a right-handed batter, will start all three games of this series against the Dodgers and their trio of left-handed starters: Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Hwang and Ryu faced each other in Korea and exchanged pleasantries Friday.
Sunday, of course, will be different. Hwang said through his interpreter that his teammates advised him, "Don't look at the face."
During his first stint with the Giants, Hwang went 4-for-12 with a home run off lefties.
To get Hwang on the roster, the Giants' corresponding move had to involve placing an injured player on the disabled list. Otherwise, Hwang, who was optioned to Sacramento on Monday, would have to wait 10 days to be recalled.
So the Giants announced that right-hander Chris Stratton injured his right calf toward the end of his four-inning save against Pittsburgh on Tuesday and placed him on the 10-day DL.
• First baseman Brandon Belt was scratched from the Giants' lineup Friday with a sore left wrist, the same one that initially bothered him July 16 at San Diego. Buster Posey moved from catcher to first base and Nick Hundley substituted behind the plate.