San Francisco Giants rumor roundup: Beltre chatter, Cain & Peavy latest, Cuban OF update and Ishikawa vs. Arias?

Mar 9, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain (18) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training baseball game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Peavy close, Matt Cain…not so much 

That right there pretty much says all you need to know.

Jake Peavy’s first rehab start came on Friday night with the Giants of San Jose, and he did as well as anyone could have hoped:

According to Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee, the grizzled vet could just need one more outing after this one to be deemed Major League-ready. Personally, I hope he gets a little more time with San Francisco no longer scrambling for a fifth starter.

Bold prediction: Probably-healthy Peavy will be a lot better than I’m-going-to-try-and-pitch-hurt Peavy. You know, the guy we saw at the beginning of the season.

The news on Matt Cain isn’t quite as cheery. While the bullpen sessions have begun, the man himself admitted that he wouldn’t be back before the All-Star break. I’m all for slow-playing Cain’s ramp-up, so if July is the timetable, then so be it.

The real question is whether the elbow issues will be 100 percent behind him when that time comes.

Next: On to red-hot roster battle