"San Francisco Giants left-hander Barry Zito has been assessed as "95 percent" certain to make his first start of the season today against the Dodgers. That's the number Giants manager Bruce Bochy came up with Saturday.

But it might not equate to a complete return to whatever one considers normal for Zito, the former USC and Pierce College standout.

Zito, on the wrong end of a car collision Wednesday night while driving on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, was wearing a heated rolled-up towel around his neck before and during Saturday's Dodgers-Giants game. He stretched with teammates and shagged balls as usual during batting practice, and then hung out on the dugout railing.

He looked sharp enough during a throwing session Friday to convince all concerned that, for the time being, he'll get the green light to throw.

It was a taxi running a red light that ran into the back passenger side of Zito's rented Cadillac, but it could have been worse."