"Nearly two months have passed since Barry Zito sprained his right foot fielding a bunt, and the Giants still have not said when he will be activated from the disabled list. That is not surprising, given the difficulty of finding a spot for him anywhere on the current pitching staff, much less the rotation.

Zito has looked sharp in two rehab starts with Class A San Jose and will pitch for Triple-A Fresno this week. Zito was not throwing well when he went down. His velocity was down and his ERA up, to 6.23 in three starts.

Besides regaining his arm strength during rehab, Zito has been incorporating a slight lower-body mechanical change in hope of pitching more effectively.

"It's just getting a little more drive off the mound," he said Sunday. "It's nothing major. You probably wouldn't even notice it if I told you what it was. In the middle of the season, you can't make huge adjustments. You just refine things."