Has Lincecum pitched for the last time?

Tim Lincecum's slight frame and his skill on the mound earlier in his career, earned him the
 nickname, "The Freak."

HAS TIM LINCECUM thrown his last pitch in professional baseball?

UPDATE: Today, Sept. 3, the Giants announced that Lincecum is done for the season.

In an exclusive story, the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Filipino/American pitcher has continued difficulty in recovering from a hip injury that has had on the San Francisco Giants' disabled list after being struck on the arm by a line drive in a June 27 game against the Colorado Rockies. 

"The bad days are outshining the good ones," Lincecum admitted to a reporter.

The highly popular pitcher reached the zenith of his career in after winning consecutive Cy Young Awards for best pitcher of the year in 2008-2009 and led the Giants to the World Series championship in 2010.

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In 2011, his pitching prowess declined rapidly and was never able to recapture his winning form.

Even if he was to have surgery during the off-season, it is doubtful the Giants would resign him since this is the last season of his current contract and he becomes a free agent. Before his current injury, he was the fifth starter in a 5-man rotation and that position was already shaky.

His inconsistency and inability to control his fastball made his starting position in doubt. There was talk among the coaches and fans that he might be moved to the bullpen, a position he was in last year during the post-season. Manager Bruce Bochy didn't have enough confidence in him to put him in, even in relief. It was most telling that in a 18-inning game with the Washington Nationals during the 2014 postseason, the Giants had to use all its pitchers but Lincecum remained on the bench. (Editor: Earlier versions had the wrong opponent vs. the Giants.)

Born and raised in Seattle, Lincecum's mother is a Filipina/American raised in Hawaii. He is the only Filipino/American baseball player currently on a major league baseball team.

While the story hints strongly that Lincecum's career may be over, we hope that he he regains the unique form that made him the game's most dominant pitcher in 2008 to 2010 ... even (gasp) if it is not in a Giants uniform.

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