Kuiper's ‘perfect world:' Lincecum comes back strong with Giants

Share

Editor's note: The above video is from Oct. 5, 2015.

Tim Lincecum underwent surgery on his hip in early September and is a free agent.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner is reportedly ahead of schedule with his rehab and is expected to hold a showcase for teams in January who may be interested in signing him.

"What is his wind-up gonna look like?" Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper posed on KNBR 680-AM Tuedsay morning. "He's had the hip issues. He's had this motion that he and his dad came up with years ago; he won two Cy Youngs with it. But also we've seen that maybe it causes some hip problems, maybe it caused him to have a little trouble trying to find the strike zone. So we'll see if that changes."

Lincecum was one of the best pitchers in baseball from 2008 through 2011.

Over that period, he went 62-36 with a 2.81 ERA, struck out 977 hitters over 881.2 innings, was an All-Star four times and won the Cy Young in 2008 and 2009.

In the 2010 playoffs -- five starts and one relief appearance -- he went 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA.

San Francisco Giants

Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

Giants notes: Wade had one offseason goal for 2025 season

Giants notes: Bulked-up Hicks ready for second shot in rotation

Lincecum was terrific in relief in the 2012 postseason (he lost his one start), but during the regular season from 2012 through 2015, he went 39-42 with a 4.68 ERA.

Combine the poor results with a significant drop in velocity -- plus the hip issues -- there are certainly question marks about his ability to pitch in the big leagues again.

[REWIND: Lincecum speaks on his rehab, this Giants team, and his future]

"And then also you look at his health. I really believe that he's physically gonna be fine, just because of the way he's built," Kuiper explained. "He's a little guy that has extraordinary skills being able to handle his body, and how to do things ... if he's healthy, somebody is gonna give him a shot. Whether the Giants have decided they're gonna turn the page on this or not -- I don't know."

Lincecum told reporters in late September that he was "pretty confident" he would be ready for spring training.

He didn't provide a clear answer when asked whether or not he would focus on returning as a starter or reliever.

"Mike (Krukow) is convinced that he (Lincecum) can still win games or save games or be in relief without the great velocity that he had," Kuiper added. "And I think he's shown that he can do that but can he do it on a consistent basis? That's really what it's all about. The team, the manager, the pitching coach -- they have to have a pretty good idea that when you go on the field that day, that guy's gonna give you a chance to win. That's really what consistency is all about.

"I'm pulling for the guy, I think everybody is. In a perfect world, he makes a comeback and he's throwing terrific and he's got the Giants uniform on. That's the perfect world."

Contact Us