Buster Posey will have season-ending hip surgery
San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will undergo season-ending hip surgery on Monday.
Posey, who’s been dealing with a hip issue for most of the season, confirmed the news following Friday’s 7-6 loss to the Texas Rangers.
The news is not a surprise to the Giants. When asked this week if he thought surgery would be necessary for Posey, executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean was quoted saying “I’d say that that’s a safe assumption.” The surgery will have six-to-eight month recovery, meaning he could miss regular season time in 2019.
Posey caught all 10 innings for San Francisco during Friday’s game. He went 1 for 3 with two walks.
Hip injury forced Posey to miss All-Star game
The hip issue has lingered for Posey in the batter’s box and behind the plate all season and forced him to miss July’s All-Star Game. He chose to spend the All-Star break receiving treatment that included a cortisone shot to tamp down inflammation in his injured hip.
With the Giants 7 1/2 games out of first place in the NL West, the Giants appear ready to focus on getting Posey, 31, healthy and ready for next season.
Though Sabean insisted to The Chronicle that the team’s place in the standings won’t be the deciding influence.
“That’s not going to be the overriding factor,” Sabean said. “His well-being present and future, more so future, is in our best interests.
Bruce Bochy: We want Posey ready for next year
Manger Bruce Bochy wasn’t as firm as Sabean on Posey having surgery, but acknowledged that the option was on the table.
“I’ll be honest with you,” Bochy told The Chronicle. “We have discussed that. We talked about it. Nothing’s been determined yet. Because we want him ready for next year. We’re discussing that now.”
Posey lacking his normal pop this season
Posey has played in 105 games this year, but has been sapped of the power that has made him a six-time All-Star.
He’s hitting .284 with five home runs and 40 RBI this season. His .382 slugging percentage is well below his career rate of .466.
Bochy told The Chronicle that the surgery being discussed would address the labrum and clean out bone spurs, and that specifics would be determined “really soon.”
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