San Francisco Giants right-hander Matt Cain will meet with Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his throwing elbow, according to Bay Area sports radio station 95.7 The Game.
Matt Cain reportedly will visit Dr. James Andrews
The Giants are concerned Cain, who is on the DL for the third time in less than a year, might have a more serious injury than initially suspected.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Cain is dealing with bone chips in his elbow, and the Giants fear that the issue could be a repeat of what Joe Nathan went through in 2009, per Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News. Nathan had bone chips removed from his throwing elbow in October of that year and underwent Tommy John surgery the following spring.
Cain hit the disabled list on July 21 with elbow soreness and hasn’t pitched since July 11. The 29-year-old veteran also served a DL stint in early June due to a hamstring injury and hasn’t quite been himself on the mound, posting a career-worst 4.18 ERA and striking out fewer batters than he has since his rookie season.
The longtime San Francisco ace didn't spend a single day on the disabled list during his major league career until last August, when he was forced to miss a few starts after being hit with a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Gaby Sanchez.
The Giants recently bolstered their rotation by acquiring Jake Peavy from the Boston Red Sox and could still try to land another starter before the trade deadline on Thursday, although the team also has needs to address in the outfield and at second base.
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