SAN FRANCISCO – Jeff Samardzija pitched just four innings against the A’s in a 4-3 Giants’ loss on Saturday. Now we know why. Samardzija is suffering from right shoulder inflammation that has landed him back on the 10-day disabled list. This is Samardzija’s third time on the 10-day disabled list this season after suffering a pectoral strain in late March and shoulder tightness at the end of May which kept him out until a July 7 start against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Samardzija’s injury struggles have kept him below his true pitching ability this season and commended his efforts in his four innings of work against the A’s.
“He’s such a competitor,” Bochy said. “He wants to be out there. He willed his way through four innings yesterday, I thought. In the early part of the inning, it was the toughest part for him trying to get loose it looked like. Then he got to where he was letting it go at times, but he’s still not quite right, so maybe these 10 days are going to help him out and get him back in the form he needs to be in.”
Bochy said he will know better what Samardzija’s status is after team doctors evaluate him during Sunday’s game against the A’s, and added that he’ll have a better idea of his status following the game.
“When we get through this break, at some point he’ll take a bullpen to see if the shoulder is doing better, it’s just got some inflammation in there right now,” Bochy said. “So, that’s the next step. I may have something more for you after the game today because we’re talking about what we are going to do.”
At the moment, surgery is not on the table.
“They have not mentioned surgery,” Bochy said. “He’s had cortisone and he’s getting treatment. And I think some days are better than others. Now his start, not yesterday, the previous start, I thought he was pretty good. He looked like he was on his way. It just looked like it got a little cranky last night.”
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