San Francisco Giants’ Matt Cain Hit By Line Drive In Spring Debut

Feb. 24, 2013; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher

(18) throws during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Hohokam Park. The Cubs won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

As a player, you have two goals coming into Spring Training – stay healthy and lube up your skills for the regular season, in that order. So when San Francisco Giants’ ace Matt Cain took a line drive off his leg yesterday, many throats within the Giants organization felt a massive lump in them.

Only throwing one inning in yesterday’s start, Cain took the comebacker off of his right leg thanks to a scorcher from Alfonso Soriano, who apparently just despises the Giants between his ill-timed hits, desires not to be traded to the Bay and attempts to decapitate our pitcher.

In noticeable pain, Cain limped and hobbled around but for some unknown reason, was left in the game after making a few warmup pitches. Clearly not himself, Cain, who was making his Spring debut, ended up giving up four runs in the inning (a three run dong moments after the injury) and did not return for the second inning as scheduled, though Cain said it wasn’t because of the injury. He doesn’t anticipate missing his next start. It marked the second time in as many Spring’s that Cain has been clubbed by a comebacker.

In addition to Cain’s injury, yesterday marked the first time the Giants faced former hearthrob outfielder Nate Schierholtz, who, in typical Schierholtz fashion, hit a roller in front of Cain after the injury. Nothing like those Nate the Great roll-over nubbers.

The Giants, now 1-1 in Spring after their 4-3 loss yesterday, will take on the Chicago White Sox this afternoon.