Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was placed on the disabled list on Saturday morning with a broken left thumb that he suffered Friday night when he was struck by a Paul Maholm pitch. After a visit with hand specialist Dr. Tim McAdams, the situation is looking even grimmer. From beat reporter Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com ...
The pins won’t be removed for four weeks, which makes that six-week full-recovery timetable seem overly optimistic. Belt is going to have to ease back into hitting drills once the pins are out and will then have to go on a minor league rehab assignment to get his timing right. Baggarly writes Sunday that it’s “hard to envision him playing many games before the All-Star break, if at all.”
Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will undergo surgery on Tuesday to insert two pins in his fractured left thumb, but the club still believes he can be ready to return in six weeks.
Dr. Tim McAdams will perform the procedure to stabilize multiple fractures in his proximal phalanx.
The pins won’t be removed for four weeks, which makes that six-week full-recovery timetable seem overly optimistic. Belt is going to have to ease back into hitting drills once the pins are out and will then have to go on a minor league rehab assignment to get his timing right. Baggarly writes Sunday that it’s “hard to envision him playing many games before the All-Star break, if at all.”
Belt, 26, had an .820 OPS (135 OPS+) with nine home runs and 18 RBI in 35 games this season.
Mike Morse is going to serve as the Giants’ primary first baseman through at least mid-June.
