Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Brian Wilson (elbow) is "getting close" to being able to throw off a mound.

Bochy indicated recently that there was a chance Wilson might not make it back this season, but that shouldn't be the case unless he experiences a setback. The bearded closer has been sidelined since mid-August with inflammation in his right elbow.

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Bruce Bochy "wasn't as optimistic" about Brian Wilson (elbow) returning this season as he was about Barry Zito (ankle) or Jonathan Sanchez (ankle).

Bochy said he was "fairly confident" Wilson would return this year. That doesn't sound terribly ominous, but we weren't in the room when the question was asked, and Shea seems to think Bochy might be a little worried about the closer. Either way, it does seem as if Wilson is probably at least a couple weeks away. The Giants have been using a committee in the ninth inning with The Beard out.

Brian Wilson (elbow) threw on flat ground for a second straight day Friday.

However, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Wilson "isn't close to returning to the active roster." Giants manager Bruce Bochy said previously that Wilson was unlikely to be ready on August 31, the first day he's eligible to be activated. It probably won't be too long after that, though.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said it will be "tough" for Brian Wilson (elbow) to return from the disabled list when first eligible on August 31.

We figured the Giants would at least wait an additional day until rosters expanded, but it appears it might be a little longer than that. Wilson played seven minutes of catch Thursday and will be evaluated Friday to see if he can ramp up his activity. It's not clear at this point if he might go out on a short rehab assignment before returning.

Brian Wilson played seven minutes of catch Thursday, reporting no lingering issues with his elbow.

Wilson landed on the disabled list August 16 with inflammation in his throwing elbow. He's already making steady progress and should be ready to return to the back of the Giants' bullpen at the end of this month.

Brian Wilson (elbow) could begin playing light catch Thursday.

The Giants suggested when Wilson went on the DL that he could be back after 15 days, but their waiver claim of Heath Bell indicates they might be concerned about their injured closer. Of course, they could have just been blocking the D'Backs from making a claim, so it might be completely unrelated. Wilson is eligible to return on August 31 but will need to throw at least a few bullpen sessions and possibly go out on a short rehab assignment before returning.

Brian Wilson (elbow) has yet to resume throwing.

Wilson was placed on the DL Sunday with inflammation in his pitching elbow. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the move that Wilson could be back once his 15 days are up, which will be on August 31. But, he'll obviously need to start throwing from a mound before we'll have a clearer picture on his status.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Brian Wilson (elbow) could be back from the disabled list after his 15 days are up.

He was placed on the DL retroactive to August 16, so Wilson will be eligible to return on the final day of the month. The Giants could wait one more day when rosters expand to activate him, but, either way, it's obviously good news that the closer's absence might be a short one. The Giants will use a committee in the ninth inning until Sergio Romo comes back from the DL, which could be later this week.

Brian Wilson (elbow) is likely to be placed on the disabled list, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.

Baggarly believes they'll make the move official on Sunday, when they need an extra bullpen arm behind spot starter Dan Runzler. The Giants are keeping the status of Wilson's inflamed right elbow a secret, so it's difficult to get an exact read on the situation. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Wilson would continue to get treatment and stated "when we think he's ready to throw, he'll start throwing again." Wilson wouldn't be eligible to return until August 31 if he were to be placed on the DL. Jeremy Affeldt would likely receive save situations if Wilson were shelved.

Brian Wilson (elbow) did not play catch Friday.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said previously that his closer "could" play catch, but evidently he's not quite ready. It's sounding like there's a good chance he won't be available at all over the weekend. Bochy is using a committee for the ninth inning with both Wilson and Sergio Romo out.

Brian Wilson (elbow) "could" play catch on Friday.

However, there's currently no timetable for when he'll again be available. There hasn't been any indication yet that Wilson could be staring at a trip to the disabled list, though it wouldn't be surprising if that's ultimately where he ends up. Giants manager Bruce Bochy is going with a committee in the ninth inning in Wilson's absence.

Brian Wilson (elbow) is out again Thursday.

Wilson has now been unavailable for three straight games due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. He was cleared of any structural damage Wednesday by Dr. James Andrews, but some discomfort remains. Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that he would let the situation dictate which reliever he uses as his closer Thursday night.

Giants closer Brian Wilson is not available Wednesday due to inflammation in his right elbow.

It was a back injury that sidelined him this past weekend. Wilson allowed three earned runs in a blown save Monday against the Braves and may be showing serious signs of fatigue here in mid-August. The Giants will hope that a full day of rest helps the bearded reliever right the ship.

Brian Wilson (back) is available for Monday's game against the Braves.

Ramon Ramirez notched his second save of the season in Sunday's win over the Marlins while Wilson was sidelined due to back spasms. It's not expected to be an issue moving forward.

Brian Wilson is unavailable to pitch Sunday due to back pain.

We assume it's probably related to the back ailment that forced him to begin the season on the disabled list, and if that's the case, that's not good. The Giants haven't indicated at this point, though, that it's more than a day-to-day situation, so that's what we'll call it for now. Sergio Romo is dealing with a slightly tweaked elbow but still could be available Sunday. If he's not, the Giants might go with Jeremy Affeldt in a potential save situation, though they have a few viable candidates.

Brian Wilson earned his 32nd save of the season by tossing a perfect inning Wednesday against the Phillies.

From June 30-July 10, Wilson allowed six runs -- five earned -- over six innings. Since then, he's tossed six consecutive scoreless appearances. Wilson last blew a save on the first day of the month. He has a 2.77 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 45/26 K/BB rate in 49 outings.

Brian Wilson picked up his 26th save despite allowing a run in the ninth against the Mets on Sunday.

Wilson struck out the side, but not before he gave up a pair of doubles in a 4-1 game. He's looking awfully shaky lately, and it might be for the best if he gets a few days off instead of pitching in the All-Star Game.

Though Brian Wilson has struggled lately and seen a dip in his velocity in recent outings, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said his closer is physically fine.

"He feels great. He's healthy," Bochy said. "We've talked to him about it. We're not concerned about it at all." Wilson has been throwing more two-seamers lately, so while it may look like his velocity is down, it appears it's just him trying different pitches. The All-Star closer has allowed five runs -- four earned -- on nine hits over his last five appearances, recording two blown saves and a loss.

After coming into a tie game in the ninth, Brian Wilson surrendered a homer and took the loss Friday against the Mets.

Wilson has been awfully shaky lately, but his fantasy stock hasn't taken much of a hit as a result. He still has six wins, 25 saves and a 3.00 ERA for the season.

Brian Wilson blew his second save in as many days on Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning in San Francisco's 4-3 win over the Tigers.

Wilson entered with two outs and the Giants leading 1-0 in the eighth inning, but allowed the first batter he faced, Magglio Ordonez, to tag him for an RBI single. After the Giants retook the lead with a three-run top of the ninth, Wilson could record just one out in the bottom half of the inning before getting pulled. It's been a troubling two days for the Giants stopper, but his grip on the team's ninth-inning job still figures to be rather firm.