Giants try to move forward after gut punch
A day after the firestorm of the Melky Cabrera suspension, GM Brian Sabean said there's no decision about whether the left fielder will return to the San Francisco Giants.
"I can't answer that now," he said in his first interview on the subject. "There's a lot of blanks to fill in as a result of this."
What was Sabean's reaction to Wednesday's MLB announcement that Cabrera will miss 50 games for testing positive to testosterone?
"If anything, I was so taken aback. It was deflating," he said. "I was actually in the meeting when Bruce (Bochy) talked to the players, and I kind of got emotional because I didn't see this coming.
"We've all been around the game a long time. We're used to making changes and adjustments, as we do in life. This is one of those things where you're punched in the stomach, but you have no choice and you've got to move on."
Sabean said Gregor Blanco will play left field for now.
The Giants got to play only one game with their "A" lineup, which had Cabrera, Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence as the third through sixth hitters.
Without Cabrera, how can the Giants win the West?
"It remains to be seen," Sabean said. "If you had told me we'd lose (Brian) Wilson, lose Panda (Sandoval) twice, lose (Guillerma) Mota out of the bullpen, now losing Melky ... we've got a survival instinct.
"It's seemingly a good group. They don't lack for effort, and they don't lack for character. Right now, it's about winning series."
