Matt Cain made at least 30 starts every season from 2006 to 2013.
Things changed in 2014, when Cain went 2-7 with a 4.18 ERA and made his last appearance on July 9.
He underwent surgery on Aug. 11, 2014 to remove bone chips and spurs from his right elbow.
"Some of the growing pains of going through surgery the last year, I feel like they're pushed behind me," Cain said Thursday night on KNBR 680-AM. "I feel like I'm able to do everything and not have to worry about any of that now, so that's really nice not to have to sit there and wonder if I do different things is it going to hurt or is it going to ache.