The Giants seemed to find something early on with Luis González last year.
González started off hot in 2022, but struggled from June on, hitting just .210 at the plate after June 1. He started to improve a bit in September but found himself on the 10-day injured list with a low back strain on September 24.
That injury has lingered.
At the start of spring training, González was diagnosed with a back strain and offered a 4-to-6-week timeline that would keep him out past opening day.
That timeline has changed significantly, with The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reporting that González will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a herniated disc.
The 16-week recovery timeline provided means that González wouldn’t be able to return until at least July. Baggarly suggests that there is “optimism” the issue will be solved with the surgery.
The Giants would be thrilled if González can indeed make a full recovery and return to the form he was in when he got his first extended stretch with San Francisco.