Pablo Sandoval wants to return to Giants after Tommy John surgery

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The Giants announced on Saturday that infielder Pablo Sandoval will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Roughly an hour later, Sandoval spoke to the media about what the injury means for his future.

"I want to keep playing, especially right now we're in this race," Sandoval told reporters ahead of the Giants-A's game. "At the same time, things happen for a reason."

As for next season, the impending free agent would prefer to stay with the Giants.

“I want to come back,” Sandoval told reporters. “I want to be here the rest of my career. It’s not my decision.”

Sandoval will miss the rest of Bruce Bochy's final year as the team's manager, a development that disappoints the infielder.

"It's hard because he's one of the greatest managers ever," Sandoval said. "Thank God give me the opportunity to play nine years for him and I do everything I can for him and to be part of three World Series is the most important thing."

The surgery is set to take place in September which means ... perhaps he could take one more at-bat before. He was asked if this was a possibility.

"I mean, I know how to handle the pain," Sandoval said with a smile.

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The 33-year-old has been struggling with bone chips since 2011 and recently received a cortisone shot to try and relieve the pain. 

Sandoval isn't exactly known for his pitching, well -- not entirely anyway. So despite the TJ surgery keeping him from throwing, hitting is always an option. There's a guy named Shohei Ohtani doing just that.

Panda will be a free agent after this season so, despite the timeline, he could go to an AL team and be put on the roster as a designated hitter.

“This is not the end of my career,” Sandoval said. “I’m going to come back stronger.”

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