He has undergone surgeries on his wrist, elbow and hip, each costing him countless games and untold momentum. So the sport can be as painful as it can be pleasurable, and it can make a 21-year-old feel a great deal older.
The worst injury was fixing a hip ailment in late 2016. His back hurt, his legs, too, all tied to that hip and overcompensating. It was painful getting up in the morning, or climbing out of a car. Normal tasks became a challenge and a chore.
“It was some weird stuff, painful,” Green said. “Here I was 20, 21 years old, and I couldn’t move. I thought, ‘What’s going on?’ There were times I’d text the manager (of the team) and tell him I’d be a complete liability out there today.
Green has looked the part of a healthy prospect at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, one eager for his first call-up to the big leagues. He had two home runs in a 10-3 win over Tacoma at Raley Field on Sunday. He’s batting .389 entering Tuesday’s game in Las Vegas.
Green was hitting .500 after four games, then was reminded of the stark reality of the game, striking out three times Monday in an 11-10 win, 10-inning over Tacoma that gave Sacramento a 4-1 record after the season-opening series.
But Green isn’t complaining. Strikeouts are as much a part of this game as home runs.
First-year River Cats manager Dave Brundage has history with Green from their time in the Phillies organization. Brundage and many baseball people understand that, when healthy, Green can boost an offense. He has clubbed 66 home runs and driven in 281 runs in 503 minor-league games.
Green elected for free agency in November and was signed by the Giants in January.
“Zach was a big signing for San Francisco,” Brundage said. “I like how athletic he is, his size, his versatility in being able to play first or third. Now it’s refining things. His bat will do the talking. He has tremendous power.
Green is ecstatic to play at Raley Field, a venue he grew up admiring. He attended River Cats games as a lad, and he played there twice while at Jesuit. His parents, Kim and Jesse, are now regulars at River Cats games, eyes set on No. 12, as are scores of friends and former youth and high school coaches.
Patience is another part of this game, and that’s not always easy for the uber-competitive.
“This game doesn’t owe you anything,” Green said of the baseball business in general. “It’s so hard to break through (to the big leagues). I’ve never been up there. A lot of guys in this clubhouse have been. It’s a big year for a lot of us. We’re all here to show what we can do. It’s important not to lose site of that.