Brandon Belt

The Giants claimed right-hander Pierce Johnson off wavers before Wednesday’s game against the Rockies.

Mark Melancon has only pitched in 29 games for the Giants this season. He may not pitch in many more, either.

On Sunday evening, Buster Posey walked into the visiting clubhouse in Phoenix with tape around his right thumb. Posey had just finished a weekend series in which the San Francisco Giants were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a series in which Posey went 1-for-11 at the plate.

The Giants will go for their third consecutive series victory at home on Sunday, but they’re still without both starters on the right side of their infield.

With no timetable estimated for Brandon Belt’s return, and Mark Melancon announcing mid-Friday afternoon that offseason surgery may be a possibility, Bruce Bochy faced questions regarding why the Giants continue to play certain injury-plagued players when the postseason is far from a possibility.

Bruce Bochy said he’s never seen the injury bug bite a team he’s worked with as hard as it has bit the Giants this season.

The Giants have dealt with their fare share of nightmare scenarios this season, and on Sunday night in Washington, D.C., they almost had to deal with another.

If Brandon Belt, Johnny Cueto and Mark Melancon remain with the San Francisco Giants for the duration of their current contracts, the franchise will owe the three players a combined $200 million from now through the end of the 2021 season..

“First day I talked to him he didn’t feel the symptoms as much as he did the previous ones. I guess what I’m saying is it seems milder to him, so that’s good news. But you don’t know with these concussions. He thought he was over it the last time and then it came back. So it’s going to take some time.”

It was only a matter of time. That was the sentiment expressed among Giants’ fans when the franchise signed 30-year-old infielder Pablo Sandoval to a Minor League contract on July 22.