Closer Armando Benitez might be back with the San Francisco Giants sooner than expected. Benitez went on the disabled list April 27 with a serious hamstring injury, which required surgery to reattach two tendons to his pelvis. The Giants predicted Benitez would be out for four months, perhaps missing the rest of the season. But his progress during rehabilitation has the club thinking the veteran right-hander might beat his projected return in early September. Benitez threw in the bullpen for 10 minutes before the Giants' game against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. He also participated in fielding drills, providing further evidence of improvement. "He's done the first-base drills before, but we're trying to do them faster and faster," trainer Stan Conte said. "He's thrown off the mound five times. He's progressing very well. I don't want to speculate, but he might be back [early]." Benitez was injured while covering first base on a routine play for the final out of a game against the San Diego Padres. The Giants signed him to a three-year contract worth $21.5 million last winter to be the dominant closer they've lacked since Robb Nen's career-ending injury in 2002. "He's definitely coming back," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "It's a matter of when."