Matt Cain diagnosed with hamstring strain, status for next start unclear
By Hayden Kane
The San Francisco Giants have high hopes that the hamstring injury suffered by Matt Cain this week isn’t serious enough to warrant a stint on the disabled list.
According to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area, Cain was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain on Thursday. His status for his next scheduled start on Memorial Day is unknown:
"The Giants aren’t ruling out Matt Cain to make his next start after diagnosing him with a Grade 1 hamstring strain…And given the time of year, I’d expect the Giants would lean toward skipping Cain’s next turn on Memorial Day against the Chicago Cubs. Cain will be re-evaluated when the team returns home. If it appears he would miss more than one start, the Giants would place him on the disabled list.”"
It seems most likely that the Giants will exercise the caution suggested by Baggarly here by skipping one start before re-inserting Cain into his normal slot in the rotation.
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Cain is starting to get things back on track in 2014 after mixed results over the last couple years. Through eight starts he is 1-3, but with a solid 3.66 ERA and 7.5 K/9. The rate at which he is surrendering home runs is a concern, however. Through eight starts he has already surrendered seven round-trippers.
The Giants look like they are here to stay as contenders in 2014. If they are, they will need Cain to be a quality piece in the rotation. That will start with good health from this point on.