MIAMI -- Todd Linden breezed into town bleary-eyed and hungry around noon ET on Friday, anxious for his first Giants meal since the Fourth of July.

With outfielder Moises Alou placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 3 due to a right hamstring strain, the promising slugger was called up from Triple-A Fresno late Thursday, and despite a change of three time zones, a tiring 15-hour trek from Grizzlyland to San Francisco to Dallas-Ft. Worth and this land of liquid sunshine, the rookie donned his new traveling gray duds and started in left field.

Talk about a whirlwind baseball tour.

Pitcher Noah Lowry and infielder Lance Niekro called Linden "Crash Davis" after the legendary Minor League ball basher of Bull Durham celluloid fame, and small wonder, with the newbie leading the Pacific Coast League with 30 homers and 80 RBIs in 95 contests.

This time, Linden hopes to never see Fresno again.

"I've got to get something positive out of it," said the 25-year-old switch-hitter of being a farmhand powerhouse. "I was doing my job -- it was not where I wanted to be doing it, but it was my job. You always have to battle and fight. The biggest thing now is the comfort level [with the Giants], getting more familiar with everything every day, every at-bat."

Manager Felipe Alou said Linden will be given another chance to display his offensive skills -- certainly on a regular starting basis until next Thursday in Cincinnati when son Moises should be activated from the DL.

"We have to give it to him," said Felipe of the rookie, who hit .172 from June 14 to July 4 in his first stint with San Francisco. "He's in there, right away, out of the plane. He's earned the right. He's having a monster season at Triple-A and we have to give him the opportunity."

Long a hot prospect, the Giants hope to learn whether Linden can vault the chasm between the Minors and the Majors. He should see considerable action for the rest of the season.

Injury update: It was not unexpected that Moises Alou was shelved, for although his hamstring was getting better, Thursday was the deadline to DL the player back to Aug. 3, and it made cautious sense to give him rest.

Scott Munter, the rookie right-hander with a heavy sinkerball, had some soreness last week, then felt it again pitching Thursday night in Atlanta. Munter had an MRI on Friday afternoon, but results weren't immediately known.

"He has inflammation in the back of his elbow," said trainer Stan Conte. "He had this last week; we gave him a couple of days off and it resolved nicely. We didn't think it was anything big, but then he pitches two days in a row and it started to go up again. We thought it would be best to play it conservatively and get this perfect so he can finish out the season."

Second baseman Ray Durham is still out after suffering leg cramps Thursday because of dehydration. The cramps caused soreness on Friday, and Durham was also given two liters of fluid Thursday night.

"We knew about the heat on this trip, and that's why one of our doctors [Dr. Ken Akizuki] is with us," said Conte. "When he plays, we'll probably give him an IV before the game to make sure."

Accardo back: Although rookie hurler Jeremy Accardo was called up to take Munter's spot, the right-hander won't be in Munter's specific late-inning role. Accardo (0-2, 5.40 ERA) is in his third stint with the Giants this season and shared Linden's fate of driving from Fresno to San Francisco to catch a midnight flight east.

"I got to the hotel, got some food and a nap and took the late bus [to the ballpark]," said Accardo. "Every time [Munter] pitches, the whole clubhouse watches. He's had a great year so far."

On deck: Right-hander Brett Tomko says he's ready to pitch against the Marlins on Saturday night despite a bruised bone in his right foot suffered from a line drive Aug. 2. He was in a walking boot for several days, allowing the injury to heal.

Tomko would probably love to pitch at Dolphins Stadium, hurting or not. He seems to thrive in hot weather, and in four career starts here, Tomko is 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA. He'll oppose Florida's Josh Beckett, who is 10-6 with a 3.49 ERA this season.