SAN FRANCISCO -- Left-hander Madison Bumgarner will officially start his recovery from his dirt-bike accident when he launches his rehabilitation program Friday.
Bumgarner sustained bruised ribs and sprained his throwing shoulder in the mishap that occurred during a scheduled off-day outside of Denver last Thursday.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that Bumgarner will begin his exercise progress gradually, indicating that range-of-motion work will be part of the initial phase.
Bumgarner, a four-time All-Star and the acknowledged ace of San Francisco's pitching rotation, won't require surgery but is believed to need at least two months to recover.
"It's not a long, long road," Bochy said. "But he has some work ahead of him."
• Center fielder Denard Span, who endured an unexpected setback in his recovery from a bruised shoulder, will undergo a fresh MRI to search for a source of the problem, Bochy said. Span is eligible to come off the disabled list next Thursday but probably will need additional recovery time, Bochy said.
• The Giants lengthened their National League-record streak of announced regular-season sellouts at AT&T Park to an even 500 on Thursday. The Boston Red Sox (794) built the only streak in the Majors that's longer.
Chris Haft