Major League Baseball

Giants' Bochy mum on today's lineup

Published Oct. 20, 2010 10:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

Who's on third? Who's playing center field? Who's hitting leadoff?

Who knows?

Giants manager Bruce Bochy made no public announcements Monday about his Game 3 lineup, and it's possible he didn't yet know all the answers himself.

As the doors were closed to the Giants' clubhouse for the final time, there was still no news about the MRI on third baseman Juan Uribe's left wrist or his availability to play against Philadelphia today. Adding to the mystery, there was no Uribe sighting during Monday's workout at AT&T Park.

Bochy also said during his pre-workout press conference that he had some thoughts about who would play center field and lead off but first wanted to talk to the players involved specifically, Andres Torres, Aaron Rowand and perhaps even Cody Ross.

But when asked if he'd told what his status would be for today's game, Aaron Rowand said he hadn't talked to Bochy and was still in the dark.

"You got me," Rowand said. "Go ask him yourself."

The one thing Bochy did disclose is that if Uribe is not able to play, Pablo Sandoval would start at third base and Edgar Renteria would be at shortstop. Not much, but it's something.

The outfield situation may be simple to deduce. With Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels on the mound in Game 3, it's quite likely Rowand will be in the lineup and playing centerfield instead of the slumping Torres, who sat against certain lefthanders late in the season anyway, including a game against Hamels in Philadelphia on Aug. 19.

Where Rowand will be in the lineup is another matter. He led off in that Aug. 19 game and went 0-for-4, and doesn't exactly have a great track record against Hamels, either. He's 3-for-15 (.200) against him lifetime with no homers and five strikeouts.

"I'm ready to play, it's pretty simple," Rowand said. "I've felt good for awhile now."

Another option in the leadoff spot is Ross. Bochy utilized Ross there when Torres went down with an appendectomy in mid-September, and as the team's hottest hitter by far at the moment, Ross could inject some life at the top of the order. Torres not only is 3-for-25 (.120) in the postseason and 1-for-9 against the Phillies with five strikeouts, No. 2 hitter Freddy Sanchez is hitting just .160 in the postseason (4-for-25 overall, 2-for-9 in the NLCS).

"Well, there's a couple options, yeah," said Bochy. "Ross has done it. When Torres wasn't in there, Row's (Rowand) done it. Edgar (Renteria) has done it. So these are the things we're talking about now."

But not revealing.

Keeping the status of Uribe under wraps was somewhat surprising.

"We have not gotten the results from his MRI," Bochy said during his press conference. "He's just wrapping things up there. He was feeling a little bit better today. But I can answer better once we get the results. If he's good to go, he'll be out there."

But as the Giants departed the ballpark late Monday, there was still no Uribe news. He did not participate in the workout, as Sandoval got almost all of the work at third base. Even though Sandoval's season numbers against lefthanders are poor (.227 with just one homer and 15 RBIs in 141 at-bats), he's still the best option against Hamels. Mike Fontenot is the only other possibility, and he's not only lefthanded, he's hitting .167 in the postseason (2-for-12) with two errors at third.

"I have to be prepared every game, whether I play or not," Sandoval said. "If I get the opportunity, I will go in and do my job."

Bochy said Sandoval may be in the lineup at some point in the series regardless of whether Uribe is able to play or not.

"This kid's been working hard and you're probably going to see him in the lineup here (in San Francisco)," the manager said. "He's a guy that we need. He gives us another threat in there and he can hit. You're hoping that a couple of days off have settled him down."

NLCS Game 3 o Â·Today: Phllies at Giants, 1:07 p.m. Â·TV/Radio: FOX/KNBR (680)