Checking in from AT&T Park, where the Giants are about to open a critical three-game series with the Colorado Rockies and it sounds like somebody got lectured about being too forthcoming with injury reports over in Alameda today.
Because a day after leading off a conference call with Bay Area reporters by revealing that receiver Chaz Schilens' recent arthroscopic knee surgery was a "three-to-six week issue for us" and saying that running back Michael Bush would undergo a "procedure" on his fractured left thumb today, coach Tom Cable suddenly became Sgt. Schultz. Or was it Marcel Marseau?
"We are going to adhere to the in-season injury policy," Cable said to begin Monday's media session, even though the regular season opener is not until Sept. 12. "And we're not going to talk about injuries, or where anyone's at or what's going on with them."
Cable would not even confirm, or deny, that Bush underwent the procedure today. Maybe Bush was off visiting the Holy Land to find Javon Walker's surgeon, the ultra-secret doctor that purportedly fixed the former Raiders receiver's knee last year?
I kid, I kid. Kinda.
********************************************************************
Good news on the Jason Campbell front, though, was in the starting quarterback practicing less than 48 hours after enduring that scary-looking stinger that laid him out for five minutes on the field and had him leaving in a cart during the 49ers exhibition.
"He threw the ball," Cable said. "Yup, he threw the ball. He did everything we need to do in practice.
"I knew after the game that he would be all right, so it was just a matter of him going back to work."
Apparently, Campbell's right wrist injury is not that big an issue anymore, as Cable said Sunday. Still, Cable said he was not sure yet if Campbell would play in the Raiders' exhibition finale Thursday against Seattle.
"And it has nothing to do with injuries," Cable said. "It has to do with what we're going to do with our team."
********************************************************************
One thing Cable was clear on Monday was who Campbell's back-up is - Bruce Gradkowski.
"I think he certainly went out there and proved he's the back-up quarterback here," Cable said. Meaning Kyle Boller is No. 3 and Colt Brennan is headed to the practice squad?
********************************************************************
In advance of Wednesday's deadline to get the roster down to 75 players, the Raiders cut four today - second-year receiver Paul Hubbard, rookie fullback Chane Moline, rookie guard Allen Smith and, the biggest surprise of all, veteran tight end Tony Stewart.
Entering his 10th season, Stewart, a former union rep for the Raiders, played the previous three years in Oakland while appearing in 47 of 48 games as a special teams standout and catching 21 passes for 159 yards.
I had him as one of three tight ends on my ultra-early roster behind starter Zach Miller and Brandon Myers. The roster battle is now between eight-year vet John Owens and undrafted rookie Eric Butler, who was signed on Aug. 19.
********************************************************************
For timelier updates, follow me on Twitter @PaulHGutierrez
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.