Rehabbing Giants: Should they stay or go?

PHOENIX -- Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez, out for the season since suffering a shoulder injury June 10, made an appearance at Chase Field on Sunday. It was his first reunion with his teammates in quite some time, and it begs the question: How connected should injured players stay with their squad?If it's a relatively minor injury, the answer is obvious. The player sticks around for treatment, rehab, etc.If it's a season-ender, a major injury that requires surgery and the lengthy ensuing rehab, it's not so cut and dried.

Some players don't want to hang around when they can't contribute. It pains them to watch knowing they're helpless. Dallas Braden of the A's is an example of such. Sanchez, to an extent, is too.Sanchez lives in the greater Phoenix area, and that's where he's been rehabbing since his surgery. The desire and rare opportunity to spend his idle time with family factored as well; baseball players are virtually absentee husbands and fathers for up to eight months every year.There's another school of thought, though. Old-school. Some players feel like they owe it to the team to stick around and help in any way they can.Mark DeRosa, for instance, was a fixture to the end last season despite being out for the year with a wrist injury, and the Giants to a man are thankful for it. They insist that DeRosa's keen eye, accrued knowledge and battle-tested wisdom helped them navigate the choppy postseason waters.Might Sanchez have been able to help in a similar fashion? Mentor Brandon Crawford, perhaps? Offer advice on how to handle NL West pitchers to Jeff Keppinger?It's certainly possible, but Sanchez decided to stay home.Did he make the right decision, or was DeRosa's approach the way to go?