SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants will make a decision soon on whether Matt Cain will undergo arthroscopic right elbow surgery to clean out bone chips and other debris.
The good news: He doesn’t require any repairs more drastic than that.
Cain sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who examined the right-hander on Wednesday. The Giants received his recommendation and were “digesting it,” GM Brian Sabean said via text message.
Cain’s ulnar collateral ligament checked out fine. He does not require a Tommy John procedure, nor did anyone on the Giants staff believe that to be the case when they sent him to Dr. Andrews.
The consultation was about the chips and other loose bodies in his elbow, which cause recurring inflammation. The swelling hasn’t subsided this time even though Cain received a cortisone shot prior to the All-Star break and the Giants tried to give him 12 days between starts.
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If Cain undergoes surgery to clean out his elbow, he likely would miss the remainder of the season but would be recovered in time to have a normal winter and operate nearer to his usual routine as he prepares for 2015.
Cain is owed $20 million in each of the next three seasons.
