KANSAS CITY Mo. — Pitching coach Dave Righetti confirmed that the San Francisco Giants had Barry Zito throw his bullpen workout off the main mound at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday to help the struggling left-hander better envision taking his stuff into games.

Zito, who pitches Saturday at Cleveland, is working to repeat an altered delivery in which he throws from a lowered arm angle. The adjustment has helped him gain velocity as well as movement on his sinking, two-seam fastball.

But his improved stuff in the bullpen hasn't made it into competition, hence the decision to let him work off the game mound Saturday.

"Hopefully this will help him," Righetti said. "It's no big deal."

Zito is still working to throw a change-up from the new arm slot but said he feels more confident with his current stuff than he did during his second-half run of success last season.