Bruce Bochy planning as if Johnny Cueto will be back next season

Johnny Cueto reacts after striking out Rio Ruiz of the Braves at AT&T Park on May 28, 2017. Johnny Cueto reacts after striking out Rio Ruiz of the Braves at AT&T Park on May 28, 2017. Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Bruce Bochy planning as if Johnny Cueto will be back next season 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Optimism seems to be growing within the Giants’ organization that pitcher Johnny Cueto will not opt out of his six-year contract after the season, the more logical decision given Cueto’s injury-marred season.

Manager Bruce Bochy on Wednesday spoke about Cueto in the future tense, not future conditional, when asked what the club wants to see when Cueto rejoins the rotation, probably in September.

“Just be a healthy Johnny, just be who he is,” Bochy said. “We’re not going to grind him out there. We want to get him on track with his command and stuff so when we go into next year, we know where he is.”

When a reporter suggested Bochy sounded like he had information on Cueto’s decision, the manager said, “I try to stay on the positive side. He’s got that choice. Until I hear different, I plan on him being with us.”

Cueto repeatedly has told management he is happy in San Francisco. Beyond that, the blisters and elbow injury that have limited Cueto to 19 starts and contributed to a 4.59 ERA also have depressed his market value.

If he stays with the Giants, he will earn roughly $22 million for each of the next four seasons. That would be tough to beat in free agency for a starter who turns 32 in spring training, even if he were fully healthy all year.

Cueto pitched three shutout innings for Triple-A Sacramento in a rehab game Tuesday night. He will throw at least one more, possibly Sunday in San Jose.

Closer role: Notwithstanding Sam Dyson’s near-perfect run as closer since Mark Melancon’s second trip to the disabled list began, Bochy again suggested Melancon will return to the role.

“I’d be fine closing him,” Bochy said. “He’s our closer.”

But maybe not this year. The Giants are treating Melancon gingerly because of an arm injury that likely will require surgery after the season. Bochy said it’s best now to have him pitch before the ninth so the team can adjust if, say, he feels something in his arm during warm-ups.

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Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

On deck

Thursday

Off

Friday

at Diamondbacks

6:40 p.m. Channel: 11

Blach (8-9) vs. Greinke (14-6)

Saturday

at Diamondbacks

5:10 p.m. NBCSBA

Bumgrarner (3-5) vs. Walker (6-7)

Leading off

Road woes: The Giants play 12 of their next 16 games on the road, where they are 21-42. Only the Phillies (21-46) are worse.

— Henry Schulman