Posey eyes Opening Day

SAN FRANCISCO — August hip surgery wiped out the final month of the season for Buster Posey.

But just as the San Francisco Giants planned, Posey expects to be ready for Opening Day this March.

After undergoing an operation to repair a microfracture in his right hip, Posey said he began swinging the bat three weeks ago and plans to take the field for the first spring workout in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Wednesday.

“I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to play and have the same workload that I have had,” Posey said. “Take away last year, but that’s my mindset.”

Posey said he’ll coordinate with trainer Dave Groeschner and develop modifications for workouts if needed, but Posey is confident he’ll be a regular participant throughout the spring.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the Giants will take extra precautions with Posey as their catcher gears up for the regular season and manager Bruce Bochy explained he’ll take a day-by-day approach during spring training.

“I’m sure it’s going to help, that hip, he’s going to be able to release it on the swing,” Bochy said. “I listen to our medical staff and they’re confident that this is really going to help Buster out as far as catching and throwing and on the hitting side.”

Posey couldn’t pinpoint exactly when his hip began to deteriorate but he did need to build additional rest days into the schedule as early as last May. After catching 122 games in 2016 and 97 in 2017, Posey appeared in just 88 games behind the plate last season due to his injury.

At this year’s Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, Bochy said he remains hopeful Posey can return to catching around 120 games this year, but Zaidi said the Giants may opt to ease his workload at the beginning of the season.

“We’re going to be smart about it, careful about it, not just going into camp but even going into the season,” Zaidi said. “If things go super well and even if he’s ready to carry a full catching load to start the season, I’m not sure that would be the prudent course for us.”

Aramis Garcia is the early favorite to serve as Posey’s primary backup, but the Giants have signed veteran catchers Cameron Rupp and Rene Rivera to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.

Zaidi said the Giants will continue to search for catching depth, but Posey is hopeful the team’s new president of baseball operations has his eye on more talent. Though Posey didn’t personally attend a meeting with free agent

Bryce Harper this week, he said “Sign him up,” when asked about the possibility of adding the outfielder to the Giants’ roster.

“I am hopeful that we are in a position where we say, yeah, we’re making those improvements and that we think we’ve got a chance to be there at the end of this long season,” Posey said.

The Giants have yet to add a free agent position player to their roster this offseason, but none of San Francisco’s peers in the National League West have made aggressive bids to upgrade their clubs. Posey sees an opportunity for the Giants to contend and hopes that the organization remains committed in 2019.

“Going into year 10, I’ve always felt very fortunate to be a part of an organization that tries to put a team on the field that has a chance to make the playoffs,” Posey said. “To just get in and have that chance to compete in October. I sure hope that’s still the case. I think that’s all I can hope for is that it’s still the case.” to winning

In previous offseasons, Posey joined contingents the Giants sent to meet with big free agents, including twoway star Shohei Ohtani. However, after a number of unsuccessful efforts, Posey is sitting out this year’s recruiting efforts.

“Maybe it is superstition, because every time I seem to reach out, they go somewhere else,” Posey joked.