Giants' Mark Melancon: Playing catch pain free
Melancon (forearm) played catch pain free Monday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
This is an encouraging sign, as it marks the first time Melancon is throwing pain free since undergoing pronator surgery in September. The procedure only carries a 6-to-8 week rehab timeline, so he appears to be progressing on schedule and should be ready to go well before spring training rolls around. While he struggled in his first season with the Giants, compiling a 4.50 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in just 30 innings, the veteran right-hander is still expected to enter 2018 as the team's closer. Assuming he's healthy, Melancon will be a popular rebound candidate for next season.