Giants Oft-Injured Outfielder Aiming To Be Ready For Opening Day

San Francisco Giants outfielder Luis Gonzalez has been dealing with a lower back strain and is aiming to be ready for Opening Day.

Gonzalez was given a 4-6 week timeline and expected to miss Opening Day, but he is optimistic about his recovery and hopes to be available for the start of the regular season.

Continued back issues will keep Luis Gonzalez from being available to open the season with the Giants, Kapler says.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) February 26, 2023

The Giant say it's a low back strain for Luis Gonzalez and he'll be out 4-6 weeks. They also announced that Donovan Walton (who had shoulder surgery last year) will be out until May.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 26, 2023

Last season, Gonzalez played in both left and right field but struggled to find consistency at the plate.

He had a strong month of May but saw his production drop off over the rest of the season.

If Gonzalez is able to return in time for Opening Day, he is likely to serve as outfield depth with the possibility of making the starting lineup. However, given the extended time he's missed, it's more likely that he will spend some time rehabbing at Triple-A Sacramento before joining the team.

The 27-year-old posted a .254/.323/.360 triple-slash line, with four home runs, 36 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and 31 runs scored over 98 games last season.
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