Matt Cain's struggle to remain healthy continues, as the San Francisco Giants right-hander is dealing with more arm problems early in spring training. It is uncertain when he will be able to return to action.
Continue for updates.
Cain Had Cyst Surgically Removed
Thursday, Feb. 25
According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Cain had a cyst removed from his right (throwing) arm and will not start throwing again for 10 days.
Per Alex Pavlovic of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the Giants said it is "too early" to know if Cain will be unavailable when the regular season starts on April 4 at Milwaukee.
Cain's Production Has Declined as Injuries Have Mounted
Once one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, Cain has fallen off a cliff since 2014. From 2006-13, the former All-Star made at least 30 starts per season and threw at least 184.1 innings. He had surgery to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow in August 2014.
The 31-year-old started 2015 on the disabled list with a forearm strain, not debuting until July, before going back on the DL in late August with nerve problems in his right elbow. He's made a total of 28 appearances over the past two seasons.
There was a time when Cain's absence would have devastated the Giants, but Madison Bumgarner is the team's unquestioned ace. The front office also bolstered the rotation this offseason by signing Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to give them a strong trio heading into 2016.
A healthy, productive Cain would be a huge boost to the Giants, but given his injury problems the previous two years, all they should reasonably hope for is that he can avoid the disabled list.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments