It was easy to forget when he was having the best offensive season of his career, but there was some doubt about first baseman Brandon Belt's status in July. Belt was sidelined for nearly all of Summer Camp because of a heel injury that cost him the first week of the regular season, and the Giants admitted Tuesday the injury was worse than they first let on.
Belt had surgery last Thursday to remove a bone spur on his right heel, the Giants announced. The procedure was performed in Green Bay, Wisconsin by Dr. Robert Anderson, and Belt returned to his Texas home over the weekend to begin physical therapy.
The Giants did not provide a timeline moving forward, but Belt should have plenty of time to get his legs back under him before spring training. He'll be trying to build off a season during which he was a down-ballot MVP candidate and set a number of career highs.
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Belt's .309 average, .425 on-base percentage and .591 slugging percentage were all new highs, and with nine homers, he got halfway to his previous best despite getting only 149 at-bats. Belt benefited from manager Gabe Kapler's platoon system, posting an OPS of 1.114 against right-handed pitching while facing few lefties. He also said repeatedly that -- despite the heel issue -- his health played a major factor in the breakout. Belt had knee surgery at the end of the 2018 season and never felt quite right last year.
Belt, 32, is entering the final year of a five-year deal.
