Giants Activate Johnson, Tavarez

The San Francisco Giants activated catcher Brian Johnson and relief pitcher Julian Tavarez from the 15-day disabled list Friday.

Johnson, 30, had been out since July 22 because of a broken right thumb. He’s hitting .234 with 10 home runs and 24 runs batted in over 65 games this season.

Tavarez, a 25-year-old right-hander, had been out of action since July 13 because of a strained back muscle. He has a 3-3 record with a 2.71 earned-run average and one save in 39 games this season.

To make room for Johnson and Tavarez on the roster, the Giants put left-hander Alvin Morman on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring and optioned catcher Doug Mirabelli to triple-A Fresno.

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Manager Jack McKeon was busy as the Cincinnati Reds prepared to open a home stand, so he postponed a scheduled meeting about his one-year contract extension.

McKeon plans to meet Monday with General Manager Jim Bowden to talk about the team’s future before accepting a one-year extension through 1999.

Bowden called McKeon on Monday and offered him the extension. McKeon, 67, took over for Ray Knight midway through last season and guided the Reds to a 33-30 finish, earning an extension through 1998.

Bowden likes the way McKeon handles younger players. The Reds began a full-fledged rebuilding this season and hope to be competitive again around the time they get a new stadium, planned for 2003.