SAN FRANCISCO — Tim Lincecum's lower-back injury that forced him out of Game 2 is no longer an issue, so Giants manager Bruce Bochy has an option should he not want to use Hunter Strickland out of the bullpen in big spots for as long as the World Series lasts.
Lincecum underwent an MRI exam Thursday that didn't uncover structural damage and Bochy, before his Giants lost 3-2 to the Royals on Friday night, said Lincecum was available. Lincecum wasn't needed.
"It turned out fine. It was a clean MRI. So he's good to go. Now he'll go out and play catch, so we'll talk to him afterward to see how it felt when he throws a little bit out there,'' Bochy said. "But my guess is he's going to be fine to go, if we need him [in Game 3].''
Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young winner, worked 1 ²/₃ scoreless innings as a reliever in Game 2, didn't allow a hit and struck out two. It was Lincecum's first action since Sept. 28.
Considering Strickland has given up five home runs in 5 ¹/₃ postseason innings and lost his composure after Omar Infante homered off him in Game 2, Bochy might use Lincecum instead of the hard-throwing rookie.
"It's nice to get [Lincecum] out there and get him a little work,'' Bochy said. "So now if we use him, there's got to be a little sense of comfort for Timmy and us. You wouldn't feel about putting him in a high-stress situation.
According to Bochy, Strickland promised his manager the outburst of Game 2 won't be repeated.
"He said, 'It's not going to happen again,' " Bochy said. "He is a young kid whose emotions got the better of him. I still have confidence in him. He is still part of this bullpen. This is a tough kid. He's bounced back before and we may him. I need him to keep his confidence. You have to stay behind these guys. They need to know it so I am not going to say, 'No, I will not use him in a high-stress situation.' But I may tweak things and try to find another spot to use him like I did in the first game to get him back on track.''
Strickland worked a perfect ninth in Game 1 with the Giants ahead, 7-1.
With the Royals starting lefty Jason Vargas in Saturday's Game 4, Bochy was asked if he would play the right-handed hitting Michael Morse.
"I probably won't put him at first base, [Brandon] Belt has done a great job,'' Bochy said of Morse, who ignored a fever to deliver a pinch-hit, RBI double. "He hasn't played a lot in left. So more than likely [Juan] Perez will be out there. What Morse has done off the bench, that's valuable, too.''
In his first World Series start at 39, Tim Hudson overcame a shaky first two innings and limited the Royals to three runs and four hits in 5 ²/₃ innings.
Many view the NL team having the advantage in World Series games played in its park because the designated hitter is not used, which is the way it works during the regular season in NL stadiums.
Yet, Royals manager Ned Yost doesn't necessarily see it that way.
"We've got some weapons on the bench. We go Nori [Aoki] from the left side and we've got [Josh] Willingham. We've got Billy [Butler]. We can pinch-run Terrance Gore,'' Yost said. "We do have some options to help us win a ballgame late. Just because you are not starting a game in a National League [park] doesn't mean you are not going to have an impact to win the game."
Going into Friday night's action, the team that won Game 3 of a World Series tied, 1-1, had won the Series 66.1 percent of the time. That has happened in the last four of five and 11 of 13 instances.
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