ATLANTA -- The Giants didn't try to sugarcoat Sergio Romo's latest arm ailment Tuesday, as manager Bruce Bochy characterized the right-hander's delayed recovery as a "setback."
Romo, 33, was originally scheduled to make injury rehabilitation appearances Sunday and Monday with the Giants' Triple-A Sacramento affiliate. That was changed to Monday in Sacramento and Tuesday at Class A Advanced San Jose before Tuesday's news. Either way, the Giants expected to welcome him back to his setup role in the bullpen this week.
Bochy said Romo, who made three one-inning rehab appearances for Sacramento last week, underwent an MRI and felt some "tenderness" around his elbow, Bochy said. Given this development, Romo will refrain from throwing for three to five days before he resumes.
"We were looking forward to having him back," Bochy said. "It was disappointing because [Romo's rehabilitation] was going well. The good news is there's nothing structurally wrong. Hopefully it won't be too long before he starts throwing again."
When that occurs, it probably won't be much more than catch on flat ground.
"You can't put him right back in a game," Bochy said of Romo, who recorded a 2.70 ERA in four early-April outings with the Giants before he was injured.
• Albert Suarez is almost virtually certain to start for the Giants on Wednesday night against Atlanta. Suarez relieved Matt Cain (right hamstring) last Friday at Denver and allowed three runs in five innings, establishing himself as a candidate to fill the vacancy left by Cain at least temporarily.