On Thursday morning, news broke that Matt Cain would miss a couple of weeks after undergoing a procedure to remove a cyst.
"It's a red flag just because of the age of the arm," Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow said on KNBR 680 on Friday morning. "He's endured a lot of innings, a lot of throws ... but in the grand scheme of things, a cyst isn't really anything that should hinder him beyond a couple weeks.
"And, if he breaks on the DL, that's not a big deal -- they got other arms to cover him until he comes back."
After making at least 30 appearances for eight straight seasons, Cain was limited to 15 starts in 2014 and 13 starts last year.
Cain is eager to show that his health issues are a thing of the past, and is hoping that this is just a minor bump in the road.
[PAVLOVIC: Giants spring training Day 9: Team not ruling Cain out]
"When he first went out, I'm thinking 'That's not good.' But once we heard the news of the cyst, it was like 'OK. That's not a problem.'" Krukow added. "I don't think it's a big deal and the Giants don't think it's a big deal. Although you're always concerned because of what's happened the last year and a half with him.
"But I don't think it's gonna be anything that's gonna prevent him from taking a lot of starts this year."
Cain is slated to be the Giants' fourth or fifth starter this season.
He will make $20 million in both 2016 and 2017, and the Giants have a $21 million club option for 2018 (with a $7.5 million buyout).
"He was pretty excited about how he's been throwing, about the results he's had," Krukow explained. "He was really anxious to get going ... I just don't think it's gonna affect him the rest of the year, and I'm gonna hold on to that optimism ... he's got a lot of innings left in his arm ... I do believe this is a minor problem."
