San Francisco Giants pitcher Mark Melancon (41) throws a pitch in the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks face the San Francisco Giants on opening day at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 10, 2017.
Mark Melancon told reporters before Friday’s game that his right pronator strain has been putting him through discomfort almost every day, prompting him to think more seriously about surgery. He’s been dealing with a similar issue since 2012, he said.
Though he, Bruce Bochy and Dave Groeschner wouldn’t provide specifics on the possibility of surgery, they could commit Melancon to pitch through the pain, said Bochy:
“Sure he’s dealing with something but he’s able to pitch, and that’s not uncommon in our game.”
And Groeschner:
“Everyone knows he’s dealing with discomfort and he’s manning up. You have to give him credit.”
The smart move, from an outsider’s perspective, would be to take advantage of the lost season and give surgery an early, serious consideration. Bochy was adamant that the team is here to win games for their fans:
“He wants to be able to help the team when he’s able.”
Melancon’s arm is in no peril should he continue to pitch, Groeschner asserted, and his arm at least appears to be working at full strength. He’s held opponents scoreless in three innings since his return.
At this point, surgery may well be just an offseason consideration to shore up a nagging pain. For now, Melancon wants to pitch, and his teammates can’t complain.
Shayna Rubin is SFBay’s San Francisco Giants beat writer. Follow @SFBay and @ShaynaRubin on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of Giants baseball.
Last modified August 21, 2017 1:17 am
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