SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that left-hander Madison Bumgarner will not require surgery on his sprained left shoulder and could begin light workouts in four to five days, but that won't accelerate the timetable of the ace pitcher's recovery -- mainly because no timetable exists yet.
Bumgarner, who sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder in a dirt-bike accident outside of Denver during last Thursday's scheduled off-day, is believed to need at least two months of recovery.
In other injury-related news, an MRI examination proved that right-hander Player Page for Matt Cain avoided serious damage to his right hamstring, increasing the likelihood that he'll be able to make his next scheduled start Saturday against San Diego at AT&T Park.
Bochy did not commit to naming a replacement if Cain's unable to pitch, though he acknowledged long reliever Chris Stratton would be the logical choice.
Bochy added that center fielder Denard Span could be ready to resume playing by Thursday, given his smooth recovery from a sprained right shoulder.
The Giants also must decide whether to put Brandon Crawford on the three-day bereavement list, since the All-Star shortstop conceivably could return from his sister-in-law's funeral after two days. San Francisco's already-thin bench would be further challenged if Span and Crawford were gone or unavailable simultaneously without a player added to the roster.
Nunez eagerly accepts LF duty
Eduardo Nunez has calmly accepted the Giants' left-field duties, which was a product of the club's recent lineup shuffling.
"Just put me there. I'm down," said Nunez, San Francisco's erstwhile regular third baseman. "There's no question about it. It doesn't matter where I play. I want to win."
Nunez, who has appeared in 31 games as an outfielder during parts of eight Major League seasons, pointed out he'll need on-the-job training. Coping with wind and mastering fly balls or line drives hit directly over his head -- typically one of the most difficult plays for any outfielder -- are among the challenges he cited.
"The more I practice, the more playing time I get, the more comfortable I'm going to feel," he said.