Pablo Sandoval Starts Rehab Friday

The Giants have done just fine on offense as of late, but that doesn't mean they change the fact that they want Pablo Sandoval to get back into the lineup as soon as possible.

Bruce Bochy and Co. are in luck, because Panda's scheduled to begin his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday. He's been missing since straining his hamstring stretching to catch a double-play ball at first base on July 25.

Sandoval, per Bochy and via MLB.com, will likely start at third base for Single-A San Jose on Friday and play five innings before exiting.

Bochy believes that Sandoval will probably play "two or three games" with San Jose before heading back to the major-league club.

Sandoval was eligible to return on Thursday, after hitting the DL (again) on July 28, retroactive to July 25.

The Giants are obviously making sure that Sandoval's hamstring is at 100 percent -- bringing him back early would help the Giants offense in the short term, but it wouldn't do much to help them in the long run (aka the playoffs, hopefully) if Panda can't stay healthy.

Besides, the team's been raking lately, and on the road no less.

"It's hard to explain," Bochy said. "Obviously [AT&T Park] is not conducive to hitting. We know that, but for us to be where we're at as far as Major League teams, that's amazing really to me. That's not our type of game that we play, but it's great that we're scoring runs on the road."

It sure is, especially without Sandoval. Now the Giants just need to put up some digits

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