ANAHEIM -- Buster Posey's back stiffness did not keep him out for long as he returned to the Giants' lineup against the Angels on Sunday one day after he was a late scratch.
Posey even returned to catching after he was scheduled to be the designated hitter in an American League park Saturday. Pablo Sandoval, who replaced Posey at DH on Saturday, was again the Giants' DH on Sunday.
Posey has dealt with a couple of nagging injuries on the current road trip, missing a game April 15 at San Diego because of a sore thumb.
But the veteran refuses to be down for long, a trait that manager Bruce Bochy applauds for the leadership aspects it brings. Bochy knows, though, that there is a delicate balance that comes with playing through injuries.
"We were confident that he would be OK to go today," Bochy said. "If this was September, he could have pushed it [Saturday] night. But if he aggravates it, he's out for a few days."
Now in his 10th season, Posey knows the value of bouncing back as quickly as possible.
"It does send, I think, a great message any time a guy can bounce right back and get back in the lineup, even though he may not be 100 percent," Bochy said.
Now Posey will look to bounce back at the plate. He is just 3-for-29 (.111) on the trip through San Diego, Arizona and now Anaheim. The downturn began after he concluded the last homestand with six hits over three games against the Diamondbacks. He was 14-for-35 (.400) to start the season.
But his value to the club extends beyond what he can do at the plate. Giants pitchers have a collective 2.76 ERA in the 111 innings he has been behind the plate so far this year.