MILWAUKEE _ Madison Bumgarner will not appear in a major league game anytime soon. He remains weeks away from testing his injured left shoulder by throwing off a mound.
But so far, his rehab is going well.
Bumgarner told Giants manager Bruce Bochy that he has encountered no setbacks in the first week of playing catch.
"I told him, 'Be honest, how are you feeling?' " Bochy said. "He says as he starts out, he feels it a little bit. But once he gets going, it goes away. That's what pitchers will go through in the spring."
Bumgarner threw again Tuesday at Miller Park. He's also throwing a weighted ball indoors. The Giants medical staff is monitoring him carefully, but the outlook is optimistic.
Bumgarner sustained a complete tear and another partial tear of the two tendons that connect the acromioclavicular joint _ a separated shoulder, in other words.
But his shoulder capsule sustained no damage, and it's an injury to the capsule _ labrum, rotator cuff, etc. _ that has proven especially troublesome for pitchers to make a full recovery.
The expectation continues to be that Bumgarner should be finishing up a minor league rehab assignment sometime after the All-Star break, likely nearer to Aug. 1.
"He still has some work ahead of him," Bochy said. "He's weeks away from getting back on a mound. He feels better each day, and as he goes, he says he feels better."
One more bit of work ahead: at some point, Bumgarner will be cleared to take batting practice again, too.
