SAN FRANCISCO -- Randy Johnson has a tear in his rotator cuff and won't even touch a baseball for at least three weeks, meaning the best-case scenario is now for him to return to the Giants rotation in early September. The Giants moved Johnson to the 60-day disabled list, to make room on the 40-man roster for Ryan Garko, so Johnson is not even eligible to return until Sept. 4.The update came on Tuesday, a day after Johnson underwent an MRI and an exam by the Giants' doctor. The news is certainly not good for a team that is competing for the wild card based almost solely on the strength of its pitching staff.
General manager Brian Sabean said recently that the Giants are not likely to acquire any pitching help before the deadline because offense is a more pressing need. He reiterated that point on Monday, after announcing the Garko deal. Sabean said the Giants had a list of "six-to-eight" hitters still in focus before the deadline, none of them first basemen.




