Matt Cain headed to see Dr. James Andrews
By Hayden Kane
It’s too bad, because Dr. James Andrews is presumably a nice man. I imagine he is pleasant to speak with, a polite and kind man who also happens to be the most famous doctor in professional sports.
More from MLB
- Braves get dose of bad news on Max Fried as ace nears return
- Shohei Ohtani trade rumors live tracker: Every update so far
- MLB Rumors: Yankees mistake, Cardinals trade package, Cubs choice
- Inside the Clubhouse: What I’m hearing ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline
- After frantic trade day, Kiké Hernandez grateful for second chance with Dodgers
No matter how nice he is, however, one cannot help but feel doom and gloom when a pitcher goes to see Andrews about their pitching elbow. Every now and then it is actually a minor injury, but more often than not that torn UCL diagnosis comes and Tommy John surgery follows. That has especially been the case during the 2014 season.
Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants will be the latest to see Andrews, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area.
"Giants right-hander Matt Cain will seek a second opinion on his inflamed right elbow from noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, a club source confirmed."
On the list of ominous pitcher injuries, it is hard to beat Cain’s diagnosis for the most gloomy: he has “loose bodies” in his elbow and now has an “arm usage” injury. With his lack of effectiveness already a point of concern for the Giants in recent seasons, those descriptions are doing little to make anybody feel better.
The Giants already fear that Cain is lost for the season. They prepped for that reality, at least in part, by acquiring Jake Peavy this past week.
Cain arguably has not been right since the 2012 season. He posted a 4.00 ERA in 2013 while going 8-10, and he has followed that up with a 2-7 2014 campaign with a 4.18 ERA. More concerning is Cain’s 4.59 FIP (fielding independent pitching) so far this season.
Obviously the Giants will hope for good news this week regarding Cain’s status, but in reality they have already been piecing together a rotation without the version of Cain who earned a $139 million contract four years ago.