Major League Baseball

Surgery still an option for Pagan

Published Jun. 22, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan will seek a second opinion from a specialist on his injured left hamstring, which he said sustained a small tear when he re-aggravated the leg during a rehab game with Class A San Jose on Thursday night.

Surgery remains an option, and both Pagan and manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that if he needs arthroscopic surgery, the expected recovery time would be 6 to 8 weeks. While Pagan got stuck in traffic on the way to his game Thursday, he insists that didn't play into him getting injured again because he still had time to warm up in the early innings before entering the game.

Pagan called it an "annoying injury" and said he is starting over from zero in his recovery after feeling a pop. He was carted off the field. The hamstring is tender and the discomfort affects his sleep.

"It felt worse," Pagan said. "It was a really hard pop I felt in my leg. I went down because of the frustration. I worked pretty hard and I had a lot of faith that the last few options that I did were going to help. And I was very optimistic that I was going to be back in the lineup and it happened. I was pretty frustrated. But things happen, you can't control what's going to happen."

Bochy didn't say whether the organization was leaning one way or the other on how to proceed with Pagan, who met with team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki on Friday night.

"We never look at surgery as the best option until we get all the information we can get from the doctors," Bochy said. "It's frustrating when you do rehab and you're feeling great and then you re-aggravate it. Obviously, you're going to say, 'Well, the surgery you're probably going to be better off.' I can't say that right now."

Pagan, who turns 32 on July 2, received a $40 million, four-year contract during the offseason after helping the Giants to their second World Series title in three years after his first season with San Francisco. But the speedy leadoff man has been on the disabled list since May 28 and missed his 23rd game Saturday against the Miami Marlins.

"Playing 70 percent for me, it's not going to do it," Pagan said. "They're going to notice Angel Pagan is not all right. ... I depend on my legs. I've got a big responsibility for this team."

He is batting .262 with three home runs, a triple, 10 doubles and 24 RBIs this season.

Pagan hopes to be examined by another doctor in the coming days and make a decision on whether to undergo surgery or further rehab or rest as soon as possible so he can begin moving forward -- again. While Pagan hopes another doctor will provide "a quicker way to get back in the lineup," he said he will not rush back this time as he might have done in getting hurt again and make sure he is strong again.

"Once you've done that it's frustrating, you've done everything you can to get back on the field as far as rehab and that happens again," Bochy said.