San Francisco Giants closer Hunter Strickland, feeling the pain physically and emotionally, apologized Thursday to the team and its fans for breaking the pinkie on his pitching hand while punching a door in anger earlier this week.
Strickland had just blown a save chance against the visiting Miami Marlins when he pounded a door at AT&T (NYSE:T) Park. He allowed three runs in the ninth inning and took the loss as the Giants fell 5-4.
He underwent surgery Tuesday to put two pins in his hand, and he is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
"Obviously, this is on me, and if I could go back and take it back, I would, 100 percent," Strickland said. "This is something I will always regret. But I don't have time to sit here and feel sorry for myself, because I'm the one that created this problem."
The incident is Strickland's latest involving his temper. He got into a verbal confrontation with Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez in the 2014 World Series, and he threw a pitch at Bryce Harper last year, three years after a beef with the Washington Nationals outfielder.
Strickland hinted that he will seek anger-management counseling.
"(I will) talk to whoever I need to talk to ... whatever I need to do to just improve and get better," he said. "I think that obviously my anger in these moments have gotten the best of me and caused stupid decisions, so I don't think I should be this angry person. I think focused is the better word. We do have to be focused and locked in, focused on getting those outs."
Strickland, 29, is 13-for-17 on save chances this season. He has a 3-3 record with a 2.84 ERA.
--Field Level Media