Scutaro to begin the season on disabled list

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Though Marco Scutaro didn't admit it directly, he acknowledged Wednesday that he's bound for the 15-day disabled list as he strives to overcome back trouble.

Scutaro, who appeared in just one Cactus League exhibition, said that he will remain in Arizona to work out, perform light baseball-related activities and continue efforts to ease his discomfort. Once Scutaro is officially placed on the disabled list, the start of his DL assignment could be rewound 10 days retroactively, making him eligible for activation as early as April 4.

Whether Scutaro can work himself into playing shape by then is debatable.

"I've been very consistent, feeling pretty much the same. Not too bad, not too good," he said. "At the same time, I'm not playing nine innings every day."

Manager Bruce Bochy said that Scutaro will undergo more diagnostic tests Thursday.

"It's hard to have a timetable [for Scutaro's recovery] because we can't get this thing figured out," Bochy said. "That's why we're going to have more tests tomorrow."

Scutaro's unavailability meant that a pair of reserve infielders who began spring on the proverbial bubble, non-roster invitee Brandon Hicks and rookie Ehire Adrianza, will make the Opening Day roster.

Scutaro received an epidural shot last Thursday in a futile attempt to treat his back. "The shot didn't work," the 38-year-old said. "It worked for a day and a half."

That prompted the diagnostic nerve block that Scutaro received Tuesday. Had Scutaro's pain subsided, doctors could have performed another procedure, involving the deadening of a nerve, that might have provided relief. "In my case, it didn't go away," Scutaro said.

Scutaro said that he received a cortisone shot in a lower area of his back in the continuing search for a source of relief.