Giants’ Morse still hopes to play, will rehab rather than retire

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Michael Morse fans, rejoice. He is going to stay in Arizona and rehab his hamstring injury when the Giants go north Tuesday and not retire.

“I don’t want to go out like this,” Morse said Saturday. “My plan is to stay here until I’m ready, play some (extended-spring) games, then go to Triple-A and play games, then figure out what’s next.”

Morse believes he is about two weeks away from playing. He was on track to make the team as a reserve first baseman and outfielder — and power threat off the bench — before injuring his left leg running the bases against the White Sox on Monday.

When general manager Bobby Evans persuaded Morse to sign a minor-league deal and come to spring training to see if he had anything left, Morse declared he would make the team or go home. He has no plans to play for another big-league club.

Morse still wants to wear a Giants uniform again.

“I’m going to get healthy,” he said. “I’m going to play games with the mentality of getting ready for the big leagues. At that point, if the team is 20-0, I know I probably won’t get called up and then it’s, ‘See ya.’ If they need me, great.”

Morse said he and Evans are “on the same wavelength” on this.

Cueto ready: Johnny Cueto’s abbreviated Cactus League was more than enough. He pitched in two games plus two minor-league games, including one Saturday in which he struck out 10 Diamondbacks prospects over the equivalent of seven innings.

Cueto was so efficient in the high Class-A game, the staff had him face seven hitters in his final inning just to get him to 85 pitches.

He even had time to coach 19-year-old D’backs shortstop prospect Jasrado Chisholm, who was trying to take Cueto deep all day. In the final inning, from the mound, Cueto told Chisholm he was pulling his eye off the ball. Chisholm singled on the next pitch. The lesson continued when Chisholm took a huge lead off first base and Cueto picked him off, making players from both teams chuckle.

“I was having fun with a kid who actually wanted to hit against me,” Cueto said.

Hwang wins honor: Jae-Gyun Hwang won the 2017 Barney Nugent Award for the best Giant in his first big-league camp. Players, coaches and trainers vote on the award, which is named for a onetime Giants trainer who died in 2014. The award formerly was named for Harry S. Jordan, another longtime trainer.

Hwang, 29, celebrated with a walk-off single in the Giants’ 8-7 victory over the Padres. He is ticketed for Triple-A Sacramento, where the organization wants him to play left field and first base to become more versatile.

Hwang, 29, has 10 years of professional experience in South Korea. He has impressed the club with his hitting and defense. Hwang is hitting .297 with four homers in the Cactus League. He likely will start the season in Triple-A.

Trevor Brown was last year’s winner.

Briefly: Manager Bruce Bochy said the 40 players still in camp will go north for the Bay Bridge Series, unless another veteran with an opt-out clause seeks his release sooner than Thursday’s official date. ... Infielder Aaron Hill, who seemed a lock for a big-league job earlier in camp, is mired in a huge slump that has dropped his average to .209. ... Gorkys Hernandez tied Saturday’s game in the eighth with a two-out double, but Bochy was not pleased with Hernandez getting thrown out trying for a triple because he did not run hard out of the box.

Giants 8, Padres 7

Notable: Jae-Gyun Hwang’s bases-loaded, no-out single in the ninth capped a Giants rally. They were down 7-1 in the third after Chris Stratton allowed seven runs. ... Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford homered, Posey to the opposite field against left-hander Clayton Richard. ... Jose Flores, Mark Melancon, George Kontos, Josh Osich, Cory Gearrin and Neil Ramirez each pitched a scoreless inning. Manager Bruce Bochy has told Ramirez he is in the mix for a job. The former Cub has 16 strikeouts in 91/3 innings.

Quotable: “Now is the time you’re hoping to tighten things up. Yesterday and the day before we had our moments with the bullpen. This is when you want to see innings be a little more normal, a little cleaner, and the guys did a good job today.” — Bochy on his relievers.

Sunday’s game: Giants vs. White Sox, in Glendale, Ariz., 1:05 p.m. Radio: 680

— Henry Schulman