SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Noah Lowry is confident he can be a key member of the San Francisco Giants' rotation next season, even though the left-hander didn't throw a pitch in 2008.
Lowry underwent arthroscopic surgery after the season on the back of his pitching elbow to remove bone spurs. That came after the 28-year-old spent the entire season rehabilitating from a March 7 operation to repair a rare nerve problem in his forearm called exertional compartment syndrome.
He has been rehabbing his elbow five days a week in Arizona and is optimistic he will finally be healthy soon " and ready to pick up where he left off in 2007.
"As far as my arm and what's been going on, I am doing great," Lowry said in an e-mail. "I am on schedule to start my normal offseason throwing routine sometime around the first week of December, so everything has been going well. I think that with a normal recovery time and normal rehab work I should be right on pace to be ready for the year and back to my old self."
Before the latest procedure, performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, Lowry had been on a throwing program and was close to pitching in the Arizona instructional league. He also had been scheduled to pitch in winter ball.
Lowry had hoped to return in mid-April from his forearm procedure, but was still experiencing tingling in his pitching arm. He led the Giants with 14 wins in 2007 and has a 40-31 record with a 4.03 ERA in 106 career games.
Lowry was a first-round draft pick by the Giants (30th overall) in 2001. He is signed through next year with a club option for 2010.
"We're being optimistic that we can count on him and that the surgery will clear up everything and give him peace of mind," manager Bruce Bochy said late in the season. "Hopefully, it's the last step to getting him recovered so we can count on him in the rotation."
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