Melancon (elbow) is scheduled to face hitters Thursday and could begin a minor-league rehab assignment Sunday or Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Melancon has yet to pitch this season as he continues to rehab his injured throwing elbow. He tossed his first bullpen session 10 days ago and has advanced well enough to potentially begin a rehab assignment in the next week. He's eligible to return from the DL as soon as May 25, but an early June return may be a more realistic target, as the veteran reliever will likely require multiple rehab appearances before being activated.