SAN FRANCISCO _ Giants closer Mark Melancon is going on the 10-day disabled list for the second time this season.
Melancon, who has been unable to shake the right elbow tendinitis that has dogged him all year, will be examined by Dr. Ken Akizuki and get another MRI exam. Melancon threw one shutout inning in Tuesday night's 14-inning victory over the Colorado Rockies but continues to be hampered by a right pronator strain.
Right-hander Sam Dyson suddenly becomes manager Bruce Bochy's top candidate to serve as closer, although Dyson is not expected to pitch Wednesday because he threw two innings on Tuesday.
The Giants replaced Melancon on the roster by recalling right-hander Dan Slania, a former reliever turned starter who has struggled this season and was demoted from Triple-A Sacramento to Double-A Richmond.
Slania was the only healthy arm capable of pitching multiple innings; right-hander Joan Gregorio might be out a month because of a back injury, and top prospect Tyler Beede just threw eight innings on Monday.
Slania is receiving his first big league call-up.
The Giants also made one other expected move, purchasing the contract of third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang and placing Conor Gillaspie on the disabled list with a flare-up of his lower back injury. Hwang will wear No. 1 and is making his major league debut at third base in Wednesday's lineup.
Nothing has gone as the Giants envisioned after signing Melancon to a four-year, $62 million contract to fix the ninth-inning immolations that kept them from advancing past the Chicago Cubs in an NL Division Series last year.
The Giants are 29-51, and while Melancon is down the list of factors for their systemic failures, their season began when he blew a save in a loss at Arizona. Melancon has a 4.35 ERA and has blown four saves in 15 opportunities; he blew just four saves in 51 chances last year for the Nationals and Pirates.
He has one save in the Giants' last 28 games, and even with the team's losing streak moderating his workload, he has been barely functional while trying to pitch through the elbow discomfort since returning from his first DL stint on May 16.
Melancon found himself in the eye of controversy in recent days after a Fox Sports report cited unnamed sources as saying that the veteran reliever "rubbed some the wrong way" when he lobbied to change the bullpen's early stretch routine.
Bochy dismissed the story as "pole vaulting over mouse turds" and it also was shot down by teammates, in part because they know how hard Melancon has tried to pitch through discomfort out of dedication to the club.
Bochy said he was hopeful that Melancon would be back when eligible, but that might be overly optimistic given how long the right-hander has dealt with the elbow discomfort.
Previous tests ruled out ligament damage that would require surgery.
Slania, 25, converted from relief to the rotation last season and had a tremendous year for Triple-A Sacramento, but he regressed while going 0-8 with a 7.82 ERA in 12 starts for the River Cats before returning to Richmond.
The thickly built Notre Dame alumnus was expected to arrive during Wednesday's game.
"The stuff has been a tick down, but it gives us a chance to look at him and see if there something we can do to get him back on track," Bochy said.
Mostly though, the Giants needed a healthy arm capable of pitching multiple innings if needed. And they had to go all the way to New Jersey to find one.
