Marco Scutaro (back, finger) took batting practice and joined the club for fielding work on Wednesday. Scutaro told the media that his ailing back continues to show improvement. His availability for Opening Day had been looking pretty bleak, but Scutaro could turn things around if he keeps progressing.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Marco Scutaro (back) isn't close to taking live batting practice. Scutaro had been slated to make his Cactus League debut Sunday or Monday, but he's had a setback and things are looking bleak for his availability for Opening Day. Bochy said that he'd provide an update on the second baseman's status Wednesday.

Marco Scutaro's (back) Cactus League debut has been pushed back. Scutaro had begun hitting soft-toss but has evidently suffered a setback with his chronically injured back. He had been set to make his spring debut on Sunday or Monday, but now when he'll be cleared for game action is totally up in the air. Giants manager Bruce Bochy admitted that if Scutaro isn't playing in games by the end of next week, the club will have to find another Opening Day second baseman. Right now the top internal options are Tony Abreu and Joaquin Arias.

Marco Scutaro (back) has begun hitting soft-toss. It's the first hitting he's done in camp, as the Giants have taken it easy on the 38-year-old and his sore back. Scutaro has also admitted that his surgically-repaired left pinkie is not quite 100 percent. However, the second baseman is confident that he'll be ready to go on Opening Day. "Yeah, because I've seen improvement with my back," he said.

Marco Scutaro (back) will likely make his Cactus League debut Sunday or Monday, according to Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Bochy also clarified that Scutaro hasn't suffered a setback, the club is just bringing him along slowly. Scutaro has been sidelined as he attempts to strengthen his core and back after he was bothered by back pain on and off last season. If the 38-year-old stays on track, he should be fine and ready to go by the start of the season.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that Marco Scutaro (back) is on track to make his Cactus League debut next week. The veteran infielder has been on a core strengthening program in an effort to resolve the nagging back issues that he's dealt with over the past few seasons. He still has yet to swing a bat this spring, but the Giants believe he will be healthy and ready to go for Opening day.

Marco Scutaro (back) has yet to swing a bat this spring. Scutaro is on a core strengthening program as the Giants trying to get his wonky back as healthy as possible. In addition to not swinging a bat yet, he's only been fielding grounders for the last three days. Scutaro has also admitted that his surgically-repaired left pinkie is not quite 100 percent. Yet, Giants general manager Brian Sabean isn't worried -- at least not at this point. "I have no plans right now to switch gears because we expect him to be healthy," said Sabean, "and there's plenty of time to get him healthy."

Marco Scutaro (back) won't play in the Giants' first spring game. Scutaro is still trying to strengthen his back and acknowledged last week that his surgically-repaired left pinkie is not quite 100 percent. The veteran second baseman is not a good bet this year in standard fantasy leagues. It's a position that suddenly has some depth.

Marco Scutaro will skip some early spring training drills in order to focus on strengthening his back. Scutaro admitted Tuesday that his back, which bothered him off-and-on last season, is still an issue. "It seems like when you have a bad back, your whole body feels [bad]," he said. "It's one of those things that's annoying, but you have to deal with it." The second baseman also indicated that his surgically-repaired left pinkie is much better but still not 100 percent, saying he can "pretty much" can swing a bat without feeling pain. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he'll give Scutaro "more breaks this year."

Marco Scutaro will undergo surgery on Friday to have a pin inserted into his left pinkie finger. Scutaro has been dealing with "mallet finger" caused by tendon damage from him getting hit by a pitch back in June. The pin will remain in his finger for around six weeks and his finger may be permanently bent to some degree, but he should be fine for the start of the 2014 season. The 38-year-old still has two years and over $13 million left on his contract.