SCOTTSDALE — It’s been a hell of a couple of months for Brandon Belt. Emphasis on hell.
In January he tested positive for the coronavirus, with symptoms arising toward the end of his quarantine period. He tried to work out and just couldn’t.
“I started feeling really winded, really lightheaded, really dizzy and just lost all energy after about 10 minutes of working out,” Belt said Saturday, in his first public comments of camp.
That lasted three or four weeks and concluded with the worst torch-pass imaginable. He contracted mono that similarly sapped him of energy and kept him bedridden for all but about an hour of the day.
As the rest of the Giants were in camp and getting ready for the season, Belt was fighting a second virus that would not go away.
“It hit me pretty hard. I was pretty much in bed for like seven or eight days,” the 32-year-old said over Zoom. “I couldn’t get up. I’d get up to see my family, and then I’d get right back in bed.”
Belt is in better spirits and better health, but acknowledged he’s lost a few pounds, saying at one point he “just looked skinny, didn’t look strong at all.” The work back to getting back to himself has begun — and he was starting in a hole even without the health afflictions because of October heel surgery to remove a bone spur.
If it sounds as if there are a lot of reasons that Belt won’t be ready to start the season, that’s probably correct. It is a lot to ask a player to recover this fast and ramp up this fast, although Belt said he’s taking “leaps” every couple days.
The longtime Giants first baseman had not been seen around camp until Friday, when he took batting practice and some reps at first base before he ran on the treadmill. Gabe Kapler said everything went well.
Asked if he thought he would be ready for Opening Day on April 1, Belt said he doesn’t know. He didn’t quite expect to be ready on time even before the illnesses, but he isn’t ruling it out.
“I’m going to try my hardest to get there,” said Belt, who is coming off a career year. “And if I’m a couple weeks late, that’s just what it has to be.”
Lost in his health struggles is his heel, which bothered him all last season (but did not keep him from posting a 1.015 OPS in 51 games). He said his foot needs to build up strength again, and being off of it for weeks at a time did not help in that fashion.
Yet, the pain is gone.
“It feels so much better compared to last year,” Belt said.
For good measure, his family in Texas had to deal with the February power outages, opening their home to others because the Belts fortunately had a generator.
In case he needed another reason to be down, it’s possible that this is his final season in San Francisco. With so many concerns bouncing around his head, he’s trying to keep that one at bay.
“I’m focusing on doing what I can do to play good baseball and that’s it,” Belt said. “Whatever happens after this year, happens.”
There are plenty of reasons for pessimism, but he’s found reasons for optimism. Like Tommy La Stella and a sea of starters the Giants have imported.
“I really do believe we’re going to have a good chance at having a really good team this year,” he said. “I know people are going to sleep on us a little bit. That’s fine, it’s what we’re used to. But I think that could be play to our advantage.”
He hopes a hellish offseason can lead to a heavenly season.
