MLB News: Tim Lincecum Done For Remainder of 2015 — Is His Giants’ Career Over?


The San Francisco Giants got some bad news on Thursday when fan-favorite pitcher Tim Lincecum underwent hip surgery, putting an end to his 2015 season, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

After landing on the disabled list for the first time in late June (via ESPN), Lincecum’s future in 2015 and beyond went into peril. While the 31-year-old is beloved for his contributions in San Francisco, his recent performances indicated he is no longer a perennial Cy Young award candidate.

In 15 starts this year, Lincecum pitched to a 7-4 record with a 4.13 ERA in 76-and-one-third innings. Prior to 2015, Lincecum’s last winning season came in 2010 — when he pitched to a 16-10 record for 2010 World Series champion Giants. Since 2011, he has posted an ERA under three just once.

In fact, Lincecum’s ERA totals from 2012-2014 were 5.18, 4.37, and 4.74. While his performance in 2015 was his best in three years, there appears to be a chance that Lincecum’s time as a Giant may be over.

Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Lincecum’s hip procedure “almost certainly signals the end of the pitcher’s career in San Francisco.” He refers to Lincecum’s obvious health issues, inconsistent performance, and general need for a makeover as reasons why.

Yet, the door on a potential return for “The Freak” remains open.

Giants’ CEO Larry Baer and manager Bruce Bochy spoke to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle about a possible re-signing of the former two-time Cy Young award winner in 2008 and 2009. While the future is not certain, Bochy says he will always have room and appreciation for Lincecum.

“My door will always be open for Tim Lincecum. That’s how much I think of him. That’s a decision that’s made on the baseball side, obviously with everybody. I appreciate what he’s done and the time I’ve had to this point with him. It doesn’t mean that won’t continue. I can’t answer that right now.”

Baer added that nobody in either the Giants camp or Lincecum camp is ruling out a return.

“At this point, no one’s ruling anything out. I don’t think Timmy is ruling it out, and I don’t think we’re ruling it out.”

Lincecum is expected to be sidelined for approximately five months as his ailing hip heals, as Giants head trainer Dave Groeschner tells Andrew Baggarly. Also, the prognosis looks promising as the five-foot-11 right-hander should be ready to pitch next season.

If Lincecum has thrown his last pitch with the Giants, he will leave the team with an extraordinary track record. In nine seasons, he’s posted a 108-83 record with a 3.61 ERA 1643-and-two-thirds career innings. He’s also won the two aforementioned Cy Young awards and led the Giants to three World Series titles (2010, 2012, 2014).

Barring any major setbacks, Lincecum will likely pitch in the MLB next season. The uniform he will don when he does so remains to be seen.

[Image by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]

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