Giants' Pagan to have surgery, out 12 weeks
San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan will have surgery on Tuesday to repair his hamstring, and he is expected to be sidelined for up 12 weeks, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
Twelve weeks from Tuesday would place Pagan's return on Sept. 17, which means Pagan could be out the rest of the regular season.
Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that, if all went well, Pagan could return sooner.
The surgery, to be performed by Los Angeles Dodgers orthopedist Dr. Neal El Attrache, will involve having a tendon at the bottom of his left hamstring repaired.
Pagan has not played since May 25, when he suffered the initial injury.
He went on a rehab assignment last week, but reinjured his hamstring while running out a grounder over the weekend. An MRI on Friday indicated Pagan has a small tear in the tendon.
"It's a loss, there's no getting around it," Bochy told reporters. "When you lose your leadoff hitter, the guy who led off for you all the way through the World Series, and played a significant role helping you win a World Series, there's no question it's a loss."
Pagan is hitting .262 with three home runs and six steals this year.
Last season, he hit .288 with 29 steals and a league-leading 15 triples.
Bochy said Gregor Blanco will be the primary center fielder in Pagan's absence, with Juan Perez playing that position on occasion as well.
