© Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants played their final game in Arizona on Friday, but not before the rotation took a significant hit when a line drive fractured Madison Bumgarner’s left hand.
His injury has the Giants shifting their gaze from opening day to June when they expect Bumgarner to return. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reminded Gary & Larry on Monday afternoon of how quickly Bumgarner returned from last year’s injury, saying a similar recovery can’t be counted out.
“I think the middle of June would be about right,” Schulman said. “Maybe early of June, if all goes well. He healed pretty quickly from the last thing, so you can’t underestimate his ability come back sooner, but you can’t really expect him anytime before June 15. That would be a blessing for them.”
Bumgarner started against the Kansas City Royals last April before the Giants hit the road for an away series against the Colorado Rockies. It was shortly after that his infamous dirt biking accident injured his shoulder.
He didn’t pitch again until June 15, but made a quick recovery without any serious setbacks. After his return, he finished the season 4-6 with a 3.43 ERA and 73 strikeouts.
Fast forward to today, and the Giants will be without Bumgarner at the start of the season after he was struck by a line drive in the third inning against the Royals on March 23. He underwent surgery on Saturday to have three stabilizing pins inserted, which will be taken out in 4-6 weeks.
Beyond that, there’s no concrete timetable for his return, but Bumgarner has shown he’s capable of making a speedy recovery not long ago.
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and start from the beginning for Schulman on Bumgarner.
