When Tim Lincecum makes his opening day start against Arizona on Friday, he'll be taking the mound without his full arsenal of pitches. The San Francisco Giants pitcher said on Sunday that he didn't throw a single slider in six spring training appearances. Nor does Lincecum plan to use the pitch in the early part of his fifth full season. From CSN Bay Area: Giants manager Bruce Bochy acknowledged the slider isn't so friendly on the elbow, and Lincecum is trying to pace himself this season. "He just wanted to back off," Bochy said. "It's a long season and he has a lot of innings in him. It probably puts a little more stress on his arm. He probably wants to wait to break it out later." Both Lincecum and Bochy have insisted that arm troubles are not the reason for this slider sabbatical. But I'm assuming that's not going to calm the worries of Giants fans much, even if the claims of preservation go a long way in explaining the 5.70 ERA that Lincecum posted in Arizona. (He was lit up by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, allowing six earned runs in just under five innings of work.)