Melancon (elbow) received a stem cell injection in his pronator Thursday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. He'll begin a throwing program in roughly two weeks.
Melancon met with Dr. James Andrews on Thursday, who confirmed that his right elbow ligament is fine. Despite that positive news, it seems that the veteran reliever is still a ways away from returning to the field, as he will be shut down from participating in baseball activities for another two weeks. He'll then need to begin a throwing program and likely toss a few minor-league rehab innings before making his way back from the disabled list. Barring a downturn in performance, Hunter Strickland will continue to occupy the ninth-inning role in Melancon's absence.