SAN FRANCISCO — The least surprising development of the home opener happened when Madison Bumgarner was told that management is eyeing an early June return.
“I think that’s a little conservative,” he said.
Bumgarner will, of course, try to beat the original estimates, but he knows there’s only so much he can do. He has three pins in his hand to stabilize a fractured metacarpal but he is able to do his usual cardio work and said he can continue with his usual shoulder-strengthening exercises. He’ll be ready to attack the rehab starts when the pins come out.
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“It just depends on how the bone heals,” he said. “I never thought I would be shut down so much by a pinky.”
The Giants anticipate Bumgarner needing another three to five weeks with the pins, and then it should be about two weeks of strengthening exercises. It seems reasonable that he could be making rehab appearances in mid-May. Bumgarner saw a doctor while the team was in Los Angeles and he has a follow-up appointment in two weeks, at which point he’ll have a better idea of his timetable. His hand is covered by a soft cast similar to the ones players where when they’re running the bases.
Bumgarner is dealing with this kind of shutdown for a second consecutive season. He said he’s doing fine mentally.
“I’m good,” he said. “I try to be the same guy day in and day out, no matter what the situation is.”
