Giants' Lincecum suffers setback, could be done for season

Tim Lincecum may have thrown his last pitch for the San Francisco Giants.

The impending free agent was sent to the DL with a forearm contusion July 2, and has now suffered a setback dealing with both hip and back discomfort. The two-time Cy Young winner hopes this isn't the end with the team he has spent all of his nine major-league seasons.

"I really don't know. I mean, I hope not," Lincecum said. "I can’t predict the future. I have good days and bad days. The bad days are outshining the good ones."

The 31-year-old has spent considerable time in recent weeks trying to reduce the pain in his hips and back but has been unsuccessful, telling reporters he is considering offseason surgery.

"It's definitely frustrating but I've got to find a way to move forward," Lincecum said. "The training staff is definitely doing their best to help me out. (The cortisone shots) aren't taking hold the way we had hoped. I don't know. It's a band-aid situation.

"To be honest, we're trying to explore as many options as we can."

Nicknamed "The Freak," Lincecum holds multiple Giants records including most strikeouts in a season (265), most career games with 10+ strikeouts (36), and tied Christy Mathewson with two career no-hitters with his second in as many years against the San Diego Padres in 2014.

The right-hander has been inconsistent this season, sporting a 7-4 record with a 4.13 ERA. He failed to reach the third inning in his last two starts before hitting the DL.