Per mlb.com:
Sabean is smart for not counting on Lowry being ready for '09. I hope Lowry can regain his stuff but it is going to be while before he does. I like the Johnson possibility.The Giants have indicated that, barring setbacks, Lowry should be ready for the start of Spring Training. "He's in Arizona working out and doing well," head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said recently, noting that Lowry has resumed playing catch and will continue to build arm strength. But a lot can happen between flat ground and the mound.
Giants general manager Brian Sabean won't allow himself to consider Lowry's comeback a given. "He's going to have to surprise us," Sabean said last week. "He's had two [forearm] surgeries. It's tough to count on or understand what he's able to do." This partly explains the Giants' interest in signing free agent Randy Johnson to a one-year contract.