A day after surgery, Pablo Sandoval is smiling.
The Panda shared a picture of him Thursday at an airport, sling on his right arm after both getting loose bodies removed from his elbow and having his UCL operated on. After the Los Angeles surgery, he likely will be spending much of his time at his home in Miami.
“Thank you everyone for your prayers, support and good wishes,” Sandoval wrote. “I can feel them and it means a lot. Healing starts now!”
Among those who wished him a quick recovery in the comments were Jonathan Sanchez and Rene Rivera.
The Giants proclaimed the surgery a success, and Sandoval enters into murky territory. He will be a free agent at an inopportune time for a 33-year-old fresh off major elbow surgery. He is an icon in San Francisco and has said he wants to return, but that decision is not his. He likely would be a better fit in the AL, where he can DH as he recuperates. But whether an American League team believes Sandoval, who slashed .268/.313/.507 this season, is the best use of its DH remains to be seen.