Buster is back

Boy, we needed that. Boy, he needed that.

A fit, relieved, and admittedly nervous Buster Posey took the field in Scottsdale for the first time since Scott Cousins snapped his left leg like a No. 2 pencil at home plate last May.

Posey’s performance against the Reds was mostly inconsequential — two active innings behind the plate and a fly out to right against hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman — but his presence was huge to a team who sorely needs a healthy Buster in the lineup and behind the plate.

An ovation rose among Giants fans before the game when they spotted today’s starter Matt Cain and Posey heading to the bullpen. Cain told the Chron’s Henry Schulman:

“I thought they really loved me. Then I turned around and I saw it was Buster.”

The Reds didn’t waste any time stealing on Buster, sending Miguel Cairo on the second pitch after he had singled off Cain. Posey’s throw hit Cairo as he slid safely into second.

Also in his first game in forever, Freddy Sanchez got back in the swing of things as DH. Sanchez singled to left in his last at bat to go 1-for-3 in his first action since last June.