San Francisco Giants right-handed pitcher Tim Lincecum left his final start of the spring after taking a liner off his left leg.
Lincecum pitched four innings against Oakland but it was a liner off the bat of Daric Barton that forced him from Friday’ game. Second baseman Brandon Hicks picked up the ball after it hit Lincecum and threw Barton out on a close play to end the inning.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner was helped off the field by two trainers but x-rays have come back negative. The Giants have diagnosed him with a left knee contusion according to CSN’s Andrew Baggarly.
Lincecum has a left knee contusion, Giants say. X-rays negative.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) March 29, 2014
If Lincecum is unable to be ready for the start of the season, the Giants could avoid using a fifth starter until April 19.
Lincecum is looking to improve on his numbers from the last two seasons. In 2013 he was 10-14 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.
Lincecum signed a two-year extension worth $35 million in October.
