SAN FRANCISCO -- Matt Moore's home debut will have something in common with his two road starts for the Giants: He'll be throwing to Trevor Brown.
The schedule and weather on the road trip kept Moore and Buster Posey from working together, and now an injury is changing it up. Posey remains out with a tight lower back. He took the field at around 3 p.m. and did some light jogging in front of trainer Dave Groeschner, but the session didn't last long. The Giants are listing him as day-to-day.
"It's better, but we think we're better off giving him another day and getting this cleared up so it doesn't linger," manager Bruce Bochy said.
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Posey has not undergone any tests on his back, Bochy said, and he's available to catch in a pinch. For now, it'll be Brown and Moore for a third time, and the first two outings went pretty well.
--- Moore's home debut has gone a bit under the radar because of tonight's other starting pitcher. If you missed it, here's my story on Ryan Vogelsong's return. (You can ignore the Posey quote, I suppose. For what it's worth, Brown caught Vogelsong once.)
Bochy said this won't be as weird as some might think, noting that the Giants got used to Vogelsong being in a Pirates uniform the first time he pitched for them. Plus, most of Vogelsong's teammates saw him during the series in Pittsburgh earlier this summer.
"One that really probably would have been strange is if we faced Timmy," Bochy said.
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Vogelsong surely will receive a raucous ovation tonight. He earned it over and over again.
"He did a lot of good things here, was a good teammate and a good Giant," Bochy said. "Vogey was very popular in the clubhouse and very well respected."
--- Cory Gearrin is here, but not for long. He's headed back to Sacramento for another rehab appearance. Gearrin said he feels great physically, and the reports on him are good. He certainly is one of the seven best relievers in the organization. The problem: The Giants don't know how to clear a roster spot. The same will hold true soon for Mac Williamson (who plays seven innings tonight) and Josh Osich (pitching tonight in Triple-A), but those two at least have options. Gearrin doesn't.
"We'll keep them on their schedule until we have a spot here or something opens up," Bochy said.
The only logical move is to DL someone until Sept. 1, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that happens after Gearrin pitches one last time in Triple-A. It'll be a little hairy, but one of the veteran relievers could rest up for a couple weeks and then come back for the stretch run.
--- Here are two truths about the closer: He was excellent for several weeks leading up to yesterday's meltdown, with 15 saves in 16 chances and a couple of big-time performances in road games that were tied. That's just a fact, and if you're advocating for a DFA, you just don't live in a realistic baseball world. But here's another fact: Casilla has blown six saves, and even if most of them were early and a couple of them were fluky (remember the Kelby Tomlinson error?) they still count. Six is a lot, so, how does Bochy square everything up?
"I like to look at the body of work and what he's been doing recently and it's been really, really good -- really good," Bochy said. "That I think is the best way to look at it. You want to stay away from making too many moves but at the same time you have to occasionally. But this bullpen has shown how good it can be."
Bochy did not sound like a guy ready to make a ninth-inning change, and that's not one he'll make lightly. Casilla has done a lot for the team, is respected by his teammates, and is pitching for a new deal. A move like that in August is generally permanent, and if the next guy up struggles too, Bochy would be in a tough spot with his relievers. But, the leash certainly is shorter than it was about 26 hours ago.