SAN FRANCISCO — Frustrated by his inability to stay healthy during his first season with the Giants, pitcher Blake Snell will make at least one more rehab start before coming off the injured list.
Giants manager Bob Melvin said he spoke to Snell before Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park and said the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner was feeling fine after a brief rehab stint with Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday.
“He’s going to throw the bullpen tomorrow and then he’s going to throw in (Las) Vegas on Friday,” Melvin said.
Snell signed a two-year, $62 million contract with San Francisco at the end of the offseason, allowing him to take control of the Giants' rotation and help form a strong 1-2 lineup alongside staff veteran Logan Webb.
Instead, the 31-year-old left-hander's first season with the Orange and Black has been filled with disappointment. Snell has been on the IL twice due to back injuries and has missed extended periods of time due to being on the paternity list.
He threw 51 pitches in 2 1/3 innings for Sacramento on Sunday and gave up three walks and two runs.
Afterward, Snell expressed his disappointment and hinted that the Giants were pushing to bring him back.
“I don’t feel like myself yet,” Snell said, according to Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s just, ‘We need you. We need you. We need you.’ It’s not like, ‘Let’s fix that,’ and I have to deal with it.
“I want to be healthy and 100 percent and I haven't been able to do that. I've just been struggling to get back. So that's my view. I'm frustrated with that. And you don't get the product that you should be getting and it's just frustrating. I want to go out there and dominate and pitch the way I do but it's more important that I'm out there.”
Melvin said he understands Snell’s feelings.
“He's just as frustrated as anybody else,” Melvin said. “He's been on the pitch a few times, been injured a few times, he's not in the right rhythm yet. If he doesn't feel good physically we're definitely not going to put him on the pitch. We'll see how the next game goes on Friday.”
The Giants' rotation has been up and down all season because of injuries. Rookie left-hander Raymond Burgos was called up from Sacramento on Monday to help.
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