McCovey Chronicles - The ongoing elbow issues of Matt CainWe want to continue to create opportunities for payroll flexibility.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50879/mcc-fav.png2015-04-07T16:03:20-07:00http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/rss/stream/56955362015-04-07T16:03:20-07:002015-04-07T16:03:20-07:00Matt Cain placed on DL, Chris Heston recalled
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<figcaption>Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Remember when the Giants had seven starting pitchers? Good times, good times. </p> <p>In 2012, seven pitchers started a game for the Giants, including Yusmeiro Petit for one start and Eric Hacker for another one. In 2015, the odds are at least decent that the Giants will have seven starters by the end of April. Matt Cain is officially on the DL for his flexor strain, <a target="new" href="https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/585572418175000576">retroactive to April 3</a>, and Chris Heston was recalled to take his spot in the rotation, starting against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Heston has a World Series ring, don't forget, appearing in almost as many Giants games last season as Dan Uggla. He first appeared in a <a target="new" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN201409130.shtml">Dodgers game</a> you probably turned off by the fifth inning, then appeared in <a target="new" href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN201409240.shtml">another Dodgers game</a> you probably turned off by the fourth inning.</p>
<p>Heston finally got a chance to start on the final game of the regular season against the Padres, throwing four innings and allowing three runs, with two walks and two strikeouts.</p>
<p>I say hit him seventh.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="336" width="600" src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=55637983&topic_id=6479266&width=600&height=336&property=mlb">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>Heston threw 15 innings in the Cactus League with a 2.40 ERA, striking out 10 and walking one. Tim Lincecum, previously considered to make his start two days earlier, will start on Friday, as planned.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2015/4/7/8367395/matt-cain-dl-sf-giants-chris-hestonGrant Brisbee2015-04-06T23:50:20-07:002015-04-06T23:50:20-07:00Matt Cain doesn't need Tommy John surgery
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<figcaption>Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The MRI came back mostly clean, and Cain will miss about two weeks, according to Bruce Bochy.</p> <p>Matt Cain will not make his first scheduled start of 2015 because of arm issues, but the news could have been worse. It's not a torn ligament but a <a target="new" href="https://twitter.com/AlexPavlovic/status/585319651665584129">flexor tendon strain</a>. The prescription is some DL time and rest. Dr. James Andrews can stay in his blackened castle built atop piles of decaying ligaments. For now.</p>
<p>With Jake Peavy missing a start, the Giants can either bring Yusmeiro Petit into the rotation or call up a starter to make a start or two. Possibilities from the 40-man roster include Chris Heston and Joan Gregorio, with the latter having never pitched above Class-A. So it's Heston or Petit, then.</p>
<p>I don't understand why it just wouldn't be Petit -- he's might be the second-best starter on the staff, and that's not hyperbole -- but I've gotten soft and paunchy when it comes to the Giants and their mysterious ways. Eh, they probably have their reasons, said the formerly cynical blogger who quietly gave up years ago.</p>
<p>We've had <a target="new" href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/7/31/5957467/matt-cain-injury-tommy-john-surgery?_ga=1.259060426.1951598507.1412620015">this "phew, it's not Tommy John" feeling</a> before, so don't get too cocky. Still, there was forearm tightness and the story ended with the pitcher likely being out for two weeks. That's getting off relatively easy.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2015/4/6/8358989/matt-cain-elbow-sf-giantsGrant Brisbee2015-04-06T17:29:22-07:002015-04-06T17:29:22-07:00Matt Cain has forearm tightness, sent for MRI
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<figcaption>Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>You don't want to know what forearm tightness usually means.</p> <p>And then, shortly before the first pitch of the 2015 regular season, the Giants learned they might have a normal five-man rotation, after all. Matt Cain was <a target="new" href="https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/585234311466463232">sent for an MRI on Monday</a> after complaining of forearm tightness. The forearm bone is connected to the arm-ligament bone, and forearm tightness is usually the symptom pitchers complain about before Tommy John Surgery.</p>
<p>That's not always what it means. Just ... well, I'll hold you if you hold me. The dream was to get full-strength Matt Cain back, which would mean the Giants suddenly had a co-ace with Madison Bumgarner instead of a gaggle of average-ish starters bought in bulk from Costco. If he were one of those average-ish starters, hey, that was fine. We're not picky around here. Instead, it looks like Cain will miss his start on Wednesday, and it could be a lot worse than that.</p>
<p>The Giants might push Tim Lincecum up a day to take Cain's start, or they might call up a starter like Chris Heston because they <a target="new" href="https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/585234791932436480">don't want to start Yusmeiro Petit</a> for some reason. With Jake Peavy dealing with back issues and a dead arm and Cain out indefinitely, Petit would be the fifth pitcher on the depth chart, but he would stay in long relief if Peavy didn't miss more than a turn in the rotation.</p>
<p>The Giants had a brilliant run of injury-free pitching from Matt Cain, but when it rains it pours. And when it pours, it pours acid rain that eats ligaments and dreams. Henry Schulman reports that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hankschulman/status/585235029493579776" target="_blank">pain in Cain's forearm was temporary</a>, but substantial enough to make the MRI necessary.</p>
<p>Get well soon, Matt Cain. Not because the Giants are completely lost without you, but because I'm tired of not watching you pitch.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2015/4/6/8357043/matt-cain-has-forearm-tightness-sent-for-mriGrant Brisbee2015-03-09T14:20:49-07:002015-03-09T14:20:49-07:00Matt Cain perfect for two innings in return
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<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Spring training games don't mean anything until they do.</p> <p>Matt Cain, perfectionist and postseason hero, pitched his first game since July 9, 2014, and he was perfect, retiring six Dodgers and needing only 20 pitches to get through two innings. No walks, no strikeouts, three grounders, three fly balls. No runs. Matt Cain.</p>
<p>The next question you probably have is regarding Cain's velocity. Part of me was hoping/expecting a Henry Rowengartner-like return from injury, with him throwing 103 mph with movement. Alas, it was more what you might have expected, and Cain <a href="https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/575026164873326592" target="new">threw in the low 90s, </a>touching 92. He <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexPavlovic/status/575037015105740801" target="new">felt great </a>and showed off some nice curveballs. The elbow held up with nary a bark.</p>
<p>While Cain had been on the DL three separate times before his season-ending surgery last year, those were for fluke injuries (two comebackers, one sandwich), so last year was the first time Cain's arm didn't allow him to pitch. His arm is just ducky now, though, and he hasn't allowed a baserunner in months. Months! The Giants can win without Cain pitching like he used to, but it would sure be a heckuva lot easier if he did Matt Cain things all season long.</p>
<p>Even if the Giants don't win the World Series again, the odds are great that we'll get to watch Matt Cain pitch this season. That's basically the World Series. Welcome back, good sir. Welcome back.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2015/3/9/8178101/matt-cain-injury-returnGrant Brisbee2015-02-20T11:51:19-08:002015-02-20T11:51:19-08:00Matt Cain feelin' good, lookin' good
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<figcaption>These new spring training uniforms are hideous. | Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>So sayeth Buster Posey and various Giants beat writers.</p> <p>Matt Cain throwing for the first time in spring training isn't exactly news, but him throwing without pain is. It should be in this Giants-themed website, just in case you come here for news. That's it, though. That's the news. There's no analysis needed. All of the information is right there. Matt Cain threw baseballs, and his elbow didn't hurt afterward.</p>
<p>There are other things to include, if you're a completionist. For example, Buster Posey has retroactively disconcerting news:</p>
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<p>Buster caught Cain today. Said last year Cain "grimaced" after pitches. Not today. Thought Cain looked "effortless." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sfgiants?src=hash">#sfgiants</a></p>
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) <a href="https://twitter.com/hankschulman/status/568850208445984768">February 20, 2015</a>
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I wish we would have know that Cain grimaced after pitches last year. Boy, that would have been a good freakout. Cain threw all of his pitches, and Posey described it as <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexPavlovic/status/568850253803184128" target="new">much more effortless</a>. It's, like, how much more effortless could he be? And the answer is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46kXH6GGtT0" target="new">more</a>. Much more effortless.</p>
<p>Moving pictures, from Alex Pavlovic:</p>
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<p>ANSWER THE PHONE, ALEX. At least, I hope that's a phone and not Cain's elbow. But it couldn't be Cain's elbow because he's just fine! Look at Posey's quote. Everything's looking up.</p>
<p>If you're optimistic about the 2015 San Francisco Giants, it probably has to do with Matt Cain coming back and pitching like Matt Cain. We won't know what that's really like until April, and even then we'll give ourselves two months of sample-size-related bleating before offering still-uninformed opinions. Here, though, is the first good news of the spring. Like all first news of the spring, it's almost entirely useless. Almost. But the headline could have been "Cain throws, calls surgeon to see if there was a stethoscope accidently left in his elbow." This headline is much more preferable.</p>
<p>Keep the good news coming, Giants. And keep up the pain-free chucking, Matt.</p>
<p><i>Update: Words from the man himself</i>:</p>
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<p>Matt Cain: "There's nothing that I can't do. This is probably the best my arm strength has felt."</p>
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) <a href="https://twitter.com/extrabaggs/status/568863192052404224">February 20, 2015</a>
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https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2015/2/20/8078339/matt-cain-giants-injury-returnGrant Brisbee2014-09-16T14:50:36-07:002014-09-16T14:50:36-07:00Brandon Belt is back
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<p>It's probably a good idea to temper those expectations, though. </p> <p>Brandon Belt is active. If the Giants wanted, they could have Belt in the lineup tonight, though they're going to <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/511984497416343552" target="_blank">wait a few days</a>. The <a href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/9/8/6123487/brandon-belt-concussion/in/5695536" target="new">beautiful dream from last week</a> is getting closer to being reality. A lineup with Pagan, Panik, Posey, Pablo, Pence, Pbelt ... it's almost here.</p>
<p>I'm of two minds.</p>
<p><b>1.</b><br> Expectations should be tempered. By a lot. Start with the assumption that Belt will be a bench player only, and you should be pleasantly pleased with whatever happens.</p>
<p>Expectations should be tempered because it's been a while since Belt has been good in a Giants uniform. Since returning from the disabled list on July 4, Belt has hit .175/.250/.316 over 16 games and 57 at-bats. Small-sample size warnings apply, as does the caveat that he was likely concussed for a few of those bats. But if you're looking for evidence that Belt usually returns quickly after missing action, it's not there.</p>
<p>Expectations should be tempered because Belt's season was weirding me out even before his injury. Somewhere along the way, he morphed into Dave Kingman, which is absolutely terrifying. Belt as an all-or-nothing hitter might be a sample-size mirage, too, but since the eighth game of the season, he's hit just .212/.286/.371. That's Chris Davis's season, give or take, and a fast start to the season shouldn't make us forget the odd season Belt's been having. The time off probably didn't help, though that's just a guess.</p>
<p>Expectations should be tempered because concussions are shape-shifting beasts. Horrible, nasty things that will ruin everything just because they can. Belt's returned from a concussion once already this season. It didn't take.</p>
<p>All of these are worth remembering.</p>
<p><b>2</b>. <br> Hey, expectations, ya mook, I got somethin for you:</p>
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<p><br>I remember another time when I forced myself to temper my expectations. The year was 2012, and a young catcher came back from the most horrific injury I've ever seen on a baseball field. I was posting updates about the guy running for the first time since the injury, and that was in January. Considering how demanding the catcher position is, there was no way to expect anything more than 100 games.</p>
<p>Expectations <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2012/3/23/2898179/community-projection-buster-posey">were tempered</a>.</p>
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<p>I think expecting him to be a middle-of-the-order hitter right away is pretty optimistic. Perhaps even foolishly optimistic. That's the logic. Any player coming back from a serious injury is likely to have a rough adjustment when he comes back.</p>
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<p>That man's name was Buster Posey. He played in 148 games and won the MVP before leading his team through the playoffs and unraveling the Riddler's plot before the Mayor was killed and getting everyone out of the plant before the reactor melted down.</p>
<p>Screw you, expectations. You're the worst.</p>
<p>Basically, Belt is going to hit .400 over rest of the season, except for the playoffs, when he hits .500. He's going to threaten his career high in home runs, set last year, and he's going to lengthen the lineup, just like we were hoping. Then, when he holds the World Series trophy over his head, we should find expectations and throw pine cones at him.</p>
<p>Either Belt isn't going to do much and we should be happy that he's back on the field at all, or he's going to do everything and this is the start of legendary chapter of his career. Unless it's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cc.com/jokes/tqvuk6/stand-up-mitch-hedberg--mitch-hedberg--death-metal-band">somewhere in the middle</a>. The important thing is that he's back. The goofy bastard is back. Rejoice and hope for dingers.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/9/16/6257653/brandon-belt-returns-DL-concussionGrant Brisbee2014-09-12T17:50:31-07:002014-09-12T17:50:31-07:00Video of Brandon Belt taking batting practice
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<p>Sounds boring, unless you were worried he wasn't going to swing a bat for a long, long time.</p> <p>Brandon Belt was cleared for baseball-related activities on Thursday, which sounded both pleasing and vague. Pleasing because it means he's closer to returning; vague because maybe that just means he's going to spend the rest of the season playing pepper behind the batting cage*.</p>
<p>Good news, not only is there a chance that Belt will be activated <a target="New">as soon as Friday</a>, but he took batting practice in full uniform before the game.</p>
<p>Video:</p>
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<p><br>Bonus Easter eggs:</p>
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<li>Brian Wilson chatting with Jon Miller in the background</li>
<li>Steve Perry at the end of the video</li>
<li>Brandon Belt hitting line drives</li>
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<p>My hands are shaking the phone because I hadn't had a drink, not because I was nervous around Steve Perry. Maybe a little because I was nervous around Steve Perry. I was going to introduce myself, but after I shot the video, we went our separate ways.</p>
<p>Brandon Belt, in a Giants uniform, swinging a bat. Oh, the things you take for granted. He shouldn't rush back, of course. The Giants aren't in any rush. They can take their time and fill the first base slot with whatever capable hands they have and...</p>
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<p>Tonight's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFGiants?src=hash">#SFGiants</a> lineup: Pagan cf Panik 2b Posey c Pence rf Sandoval 3b Arias 1b Blanco lf Crawford ss Bumgarner p</p>
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) <a href="https://twitter.com/SFGiants/status/510546216749248512">September 12, 2014</a>
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<p>Uh. But, you know, no time like the present. If it's safe.</p>
<p>*<sub><i>No pepper!</i></sub></p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/9/12/6142621/brandon-belt-concussion-baseball-activites-batting-practiceGrant Brisbee2014-09-09T16:45:38-07:002014-09-09T16:45:38-07:00Brandon Belt hopes to be ready for the postseason
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<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>That jinxing bastard. </p> <p>Brandon Belt is an optimistic person. For example, he thinks the Giants have a good shot at the playoffs. For another, he thinks his brain might be ready for that playoff run.</p>
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<p>SF's Brandon Belt, overcoming concussion, wants to play in postseason: "I don't know how realistic that is, but that's what I'm hoping for"</p>
— Chris Haft/SF Giants (@sfgiantsbeat) <a href="https://twitter.com/sfgiantsbeat/status/509478631706333184">September 9, 2014</a>
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<p>SHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh. The first rule about the playoffs is to make a <i>Fight Club</i> reference when talking about the first rule about the playoffs. The second rule about the playoffs is that you're not supposed to talk about them unless you're, like, twelvity games ahead with two weeks left. The Giants have a 4½-game lead on the second wild card spot with 19 games left, which is just super. <a target="new" href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/">The odds</a> are in their favor. Still, though. Shhhhhhhhh.</p>
<p>In one sense, the idea that Belt could be ready at all is great news. He hasn't been forced to give up the season, like Hector Sanchez was, so he's doing everything he can to come back. In another sense, the "I don't know how realistic that is" qualifier gives me the jibblies. But, well, so do concussions.</p>
<p>If the Giants <i>wink</i> then they might have Brandon Belt to help them <i>wink</i> in the <i>wink</i> to hopefully <i>wink </i>the <i>wink wink</i>. He's helped them wink a wink wink before, and hopefully he's healthy enough to try again.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/9/9/6129143/brandon-belt-concussionGrant Brisbee