UPDATE (6pm on Thursday) -- Pitching prospect Derek Law will fly to Arizona to be examined by team physician Dr. Kenneth Akizuki.
Originally diagnosed with forearm tightness, Bochy told reporters after Thursday's game that it is, in fact, an elbow injury.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Brandon Hicks is getting the day off with Ehire Adrianza manning second base on Thursday, and amid fan grumblings that the team should purchase Joe Panik's contract from Triple-A to replace him, Bochy was firm in his support of Hicks.
"I don't know if Hicks is listening to that," Bochy said. "He's our second baseman."
Hicks, hitting just .138 (8-for-58) in his last 18 games, could use a break. Bochy said as much, acknowledging that the pop and defense he provides outweigh his high number of strikeouts and low average.
Hicks, 28, is batting .183 with eight home runs and 31 strikeouts in 57 major league games. Fifteen of his 33 hits have gone for extra bases this year.
Panik, 23, is batting .322 with four home runs in 65 Triple-A games this year.
Meanwhile, Marco Scutaro will be picking up a baseball bat to swing and test his ailing back either Thursday or Friday.
"He seemed a lot more upbeat," Bochy said after speaking with his 38-year-old second baseman on Wednesday. "We'll see if this PRP (platelet-rich plasma injection) has helped."
Sandoval sick and swinging
Pablo Sandoval is back in the lineup, playing third and batting fourth, but he hasn't fully put his respiratory illness in the rear-view mirror.
"Better," Sandoval said between coughs Thursday morning, "I feel good."
Sandoval, 27, was a late scratch before Wednesday's game, but he came on to deliver an pinch hit, RBI single and has hit safely in 25 of his last 31 games, batting .348 (40-for-115) with six home runs over the stretch.
"He's fine," manager Bruce Bochy said. "That (cough) is the aftereffect of being sick."
Protecting the youth
Giants Double-A pitching prospect Derek Law recently underwent an MRI and is dealing a worrisome arm issue.
"Obviously there's a lot of concern with what may be the next move," Bochy said.
Bochy was unaware of the MRI results and sidestepped when questioned whether Law's injury was to his UCL, a tear of which generally requires Tommy John surgery.
[RELATED: A bit of 'Moonlight' shines on Giants prospect Derek Law]
Law, 23, is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 27 appearances for the Richmond Flying Squirrels this year.
The plan for Buster
Buster Posey is catching on Thursday, but he won't be on Friday when the Giants welcome in the Rockies.
"He's been catching Huddy," Bochy said, "so we'll keep those two together."
If he feels good, Posey will play first base on Friday. If not, he'll get the day off. With lefty Jorge De La Rosa going for Colorado, it figures that Bochy will stack his righties with Posey at first, Michael Morse in left and switch hitting Hector Sanchez behind the plate.
Scouting Treinen
The Giants will face Blake Treinen for the first time Thursday, and Bochy is looking forward to seeing what the 25-year old has in store.
"He's got a big arm," Bochy said. "Might touch 98. … Gotta give him respect with the power arm he's got."
World Cup madness
With World Cup games beginning on Thursday, Bruce Bochy is taking the host country, Brazil, to win it all.
"I'd go with the favorite," Bochy said.
There is another team the manager will be rooting for, but Bochy needed to find out from organizer Javier Lopez which team he was pinned to with the 30th overall pick in the clubhouse pool.
UPDATE (Thursday at 6pm) -- Lopez popped into Bochy's office after Thursday's win to inform him that his team is Iran, who faces Nigeria, Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group F.
