Giants reliever Mark Melancon is now scheduled to undergo surgery on his right forearm next Tuesday, per manager Bruce Bochy (via John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle; Twitter links).
The news comes as no surprise, as Melancon and the team have made clear in recent weeks that he’d have a procedure at some point in the coming weeks. The procedure will address chronic compartment syndrome in the pronator muscle, which has long been a problem for the veteran hurler but increasingly bothered him during the 2017 season.
Melancon is expected to be able to resume throwing in about six to eight weeks’ time. That ought to give him plenty of time to rehab and get ready for a full camp next spring.
While the overall outlook seems to be pretty promising, it’s obviously still disappointing for the season to wrap up this way. Melancon, 32, has turned in only thirty innings of 4.50 ERA pitching on the year, far shy of what San Francisco expected when it promised him $62MM over four years.
On the positive side, his key peripherals do not appear to have changed all that much from his recent work, so there is at least some cause to hope that Melancon can make good on the contract once he’s back to full health. The Giants, who face a variety of other needs, have little choice but to hope that he can rediscover his form in 2018.
Another “great signing” by the Giants that’s paying major dividends lol
I didn’t understand the four-year deal at the time of the signing anyways. Mark has had one of the most up-and-down careers for a pitcher I’ve seen in decades. Decent with Houston, lights-out with Pittsburgh, abominable in Boston and so-so since (although he had a good short run with Washington). Another reason why I would never be a GM. I don’t understand half the contracts they offer to pitchers, particularly in length (Darren O’Day is another example).
I think in the Giants case, after all of their blown saves last year, the season ticket holders were screaming for a new closer. Still crazy to pay that much for a relief pitcher.
I don’t understand this post. You’re timeline is all over the place. He was with Houston and Boston from 2010-2012. In four years since, he had a sub 2 era with Pittsburgh and washington. What exactly is ‘up and down’ or ‘so-so’ about that? He had been lights our the previous four straight years.
Some players get this huge payday contracts all warrant regardless of injuries… Not quite the regular worker making $10 an hour where they need to do their job… What a joke…