Matt Cain took the mound on Monday and threw 90 pitches in a minor league game.
He allowed one run over 5.1 innings, and according to CSNBayArea.com's Alex Pavlovic, "his command was there throughout, and while the off-speed pitches were shaky early, they came around in Cain's final two innings."
"Mike (Krukow) and I asked 10 different people yesterday about Cain and they all said the same thing," Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper said on KNBR 680 on Tuesday morning. "It was almost like they were all in a big room and they were gonna say, 'Well this is what we're gonna say about Cain.' And I know that didn't happen. But they were all thrilled, including Susac, who caught him."
Although it was a solid performance from Cain, it was against prospects.
Things will obviously be tougher against big league lineups.
"So what does that mean? It means his arm is healthy, it means that he shut down some minor-league guys and it means that his next start -- which will be against the A's -- will be a sign as to how far along he really is," Kuiper explained. "But he was pleased, and he's a guy that doesn't start wrapping good things around himself unless he really is pleased. And he was.
"And we talked to Dave Righetti for a long time, and Rags said point blank that's as good as he's looked in a long time. So we'll see."
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From 2006 to 2013, Cain made at least 30 starts and tossed over 184 innings all eight seasons.
He made 28 starts and threw 151 innings over the last two seasons combined.
Despite a setback early in spring training, Cain is expected to get the ball on Friday, April 8 against the Dodgers.
He will have one final tune-up this weekend against Oakland.
"The next start is not gonna be an important one as to where he stands on the team," Kuiper added. "But it will be important from a standpoint where everybody gets to see how much he has improved."
