SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants right-hander Player Page for Matt Cain will be moved to a relief role to accommodate Madison Bumgarner's return to the starting rotation.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy revealed the club's plans during an interview Wednesday on KNBR-AM's "Murph and Mac" show.
Sufficiently healed from injuries sustained in a dirt-bike accident April 20, Bumgarner is scheduled to start Saturday at San Diego. Somebody had to leave the existing rotation, and the choice was Cain, who is 3-8 with a 5.56 ERA in 18 games (17 starts).
Cain is the longest-tenured Giant, having ascended from the Minors in Aug. 2005. The right-hander has performed significantly better this season at home (3-2, 2.98 ERA) than on the road (0-6, 8.14).
Bochy said that he discussed the decision with Cain and indicated that the veteran accepted his fate gracefully.
"Matty's such a great team player," Bochy said. "He's all in on anything that can help this club get back on track. ... These are never easy decisions. But I can't say enough about Matt, how he's carried himself."
Bochy tried to soften the impact of the announcement by saying that Cain would be used as a "swingman" who could replace Ty Blach or Matt Moore for a start or two if necessary.
Asked about the possibility of employing a six-man rotation that would have preserved Cain's starting status, Bochy said, "I don't think that's gonna work. That leaves us a man short in the bullpen."
Cain, a three-time All-Star, owns a 104-115 career record with a 3.66 ERA. The 32-year-old is in the final season of a six-year, $127.5 million deal that pays him nearly $21 million this year and includes a $7.5 million buyout for 2018.