SAN FRANCISCO -- Joe Nathan, whose rise to prominence as a six-time All-Star reliever coincided with his departure from the Giants, signed a Minor League contract with San Francisco on Tuesday, the club announced.
Nathan, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2015, will perform for the Giants' Double-A Richmond affiliate while they evaluate him.
"We understand he doesn't have the same fastball that he used to have," Giants general manager Bobby Evans said, adding that limited roster flexibility increases the difficulty of promoting Nathan to the Majors in September.
"At the same time, he can at least get a chance to get looked at and we'll see where things fall," Evans said.