Zunino (shoulder) said Thursday that he feels symptom-free and believes he'll be fully cleared in advance of spring training after undergoing thoracic syndrome surgery July 28, Steve Carney of MLB.com reports.
Zunino won't return from the 60-day injured list in 2022, but he could be cleared to begin baseball activities in the weeks to come and may be in store for a relatively normal offseason if he experiences no setbacks in his recovery. The 31-year-old will become a free agent this offseason, but he's made no secret that he would welcome a return to Tampa Bay if the interest is mutual. After making his first All-Star team in 2021 while slugging a career-high 33 home runs, Zunino took a step back offensively this season before being shut down due to the surgery. He slashed .148/.195/.304 with five home runs and a 37.4 percent strikeout rate across 123 plate appearances.