Angel Pagan had been hoping to be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday for the Giants’ series opener against the visiting Cardinals, but Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com reports that the center fielder experienced a setback involving the bulging disc in his lower back Monday while running.
Pagan will visit back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles for an exact diagnosis and recommendation on treatment. Pagan expects to avoid season-ending surgery, but his recovery timetable at this point is very much up in the air.
The bulging disc is pinching his sciatica nerve and causing shooting pain down his leg.
Pagan was hitting .307/.356/.411 with 37 runs scored in 63 games this season before the injury.
Juan Perez is starting in center field and batting leadoff on Tuesday night versus St. Louis.