SF Giants Brandon Belt Has Surgery For Bone Spurs

According to the SF Giants, first baseman Brandon Belt underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his right heel on Thursday. He reportedly was dealing with the injury all season.

The SF Giants announced that first baseman Brandon Belt had surgery to remove a bone spur from his right heel last Thursday. The team did not release a timetable for his return but said he’s begun physical therapy and rehab.

While Belt is back home in Texas, he flew to Green Bay, Wisconsin to receive the procedure from foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson.

Belt undeniably had a resurgent 2020. After starting the season on the injured list with a heel injury and getting off to a slow start, Belt had one of the most impressive stretches of his career, finishing the year with career highs in batting average (.309), on-base percentage (.425), and slugging percentage (.591).

In hindsight, Belt’s performance was even more impressive since he was clearly dealing with heel pain all season. Belt has a long injury history, especially in his lower body. However, most of his issues have been in his legs.

Hopefully, the surgery enables Belt to play with less discomfort in 2021. The timetable for a return from surgery to remove a bone spur in the heel is generally around eight weeks. Since he’s undergoing this surgery so early in the offseason, it should not impede his availability by the beginning of Spring Training.

The SF Giants overachieved most people’s expectations in 2021 and strong performances from veterans like Brandon Belt played a huge role in their success. Whether they are able to replicate that over a 162-game season will play a huge role in whether they are able to reach the postseason.