Tim Lincecum is bulked up, back on the mound and poised to take a shot at a major league comeback.
Lincecum, who won two Cy Young Awards with the San Francisco Giants by age 25 and earned legions of fans as "The Freak,'' disappeared from public view and appeared to be finished as a pitcher after a dispiriting performance with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. But he resurfaced Tuesday on social media and is apparently on the verge of showing MLB teams whether he has anything left at age 33.
Colorado Rockies pitcher Adam Ottavino posted a recent photo of a jacked-up Lincecum on his Instagram account Tuesday. Shortly thereafter, Kyle Boddy of the Driveline Baseball facility in suburban Seattle linked to the photo on Twitter and said that Lincecum will audition for MLB teams "in the near future.''
FOR RELEASE:
— KyleB @ Driveline (@drivelinebases) December 19, 2017
Yes, this is Tim Lincecum at @DrivelineBB.
Yes, Adam Ottavino took the picture while training here.
Yes, Tim will throw for teams at a showcase in the near future.
No, I have no other information for you.
Send all communication to kyle@drivelinebaseball.com. pic.twitter.com/0N0cXHVUq8
Lincecum, who pitched at a scant 170 pounds with the Giants, made four All-Star teams by age 27. But his velocity and effectiveness gradually diminished, in large part because of a series of injuries. He threw no-hitters against the San Diego Padres in 2013 and 2014, but logged a mere 15 starts the following year in San Francisco. The Angels signed Lincecum to a $2.5 million contract in May 2016, only to designate him for assignment three months later after he posted a 2-6 record with a 9.16 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched.
A September story in the San Jose Mercury News portrayed Lincecum as something of a recluse. Writer Dan Brown traveled to Seattle in an attempt to track down Lincecum for an interview, but had no success locating him.
"The Freak is now The Ghost,'' Brown wrote.
Now it appears that Lincecum, sporting a determined look and some newfound muscles, is ready to take another crack at the big stage.