Giants Lose a Pitcher, and a Coach

The most disabled pitching staff in baseball has a disabled pitching coach, along with one more disabled pitcher.

The San Francisco Giants announced Monday that pitching coach Norm Sherry will be replaced temporarily by Larry Hardy, pitching coach at triple-A Phoenix, as Sherry recovers from a rib cage injury he sustained last week in Atlanta.

Left-hander Atlee Hammaker has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a blood cyst in his left tricep. Right-hander Randy O’Neal was recalled from Phoenix, and right-hander Rick Reuschel has been moved to the 21-day disabled list.

Hammaker is 4-4 with a 4.20 earned-run average in 17 games and six starts this season. O’Neal, 0-0 with a 5.11 ERA earlier this season with the Giants, accepted an assignment at Phoenix and went 5-0 with a 2.97 ERA in seven games and six starts. He had an 0.60 ERA while winning his last two starts.

Hammaker is the sixth Giant pitcher to go on the disabled list this season. Four others remain: Reuschel, Kelly Downs, Mike LaCoss and Jose Alvarez. Don Robinson started the season disabled and is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA in five starts since returning.