"Zito looks sharp in rehab, but no date on his return

Between his work in the bullpen and his three innings in simulated game conditions Tuesday, Barry Zito threw roughly 100 pitches off a mound -- the workload at which most rehabbing starters are considered stretched out and ready.

But Zito will not rejoin the Giants rotation in five days. He won't return within a week, or even two.

With Ryan Vogelsong making an early bid for N.L. Comeback Player of the Year honors, there is no rotation spot for Zito to take. But there's plenty remaining on his record-setting contract -- $19 million next year and $20 million in 2013. So the Giants and Zito are using this time on the disabled list to make some tweaks, experiment with some new grips, search for a little more zip on his low-80s fastball and give him more avenues to retire hitters on a consistent basis.

Zito hung a changeup that Eli Whiteside hit over the fence, but otherwise, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he was encouraged.

"His stuff, his location, his velocity was even better than before he got hurt," Bochy said. "The sharpness of his breaking ball, good changeup, cutter -- he looked sharp out there.""