Could Joshua Garnett's time with 49ers be coming to an end?

SANTA CLARA - Joshua Garnett’s disappointing season and perhaps his 49ers tenure are in jeopardy following thumb surgery last week.

It’s uncertain if he’ll play in a cast Sunday when the 49ers (2-8) return from their bye and visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7). Garnett, a 2016 first-round draft pick at offensive guard, has barely played this season, and he didn’t play at all last season.

“I know a lot of people probably think, ‘Oh, they forgot about Josh.’ But, hey, I still have a lot left in the tank,” Garnett said Monday. “I’m just hoping the coaches and people remember the stuff I was doing when I was playing in the preseason and what I do at practice.”

Despite breaking his thumb at practice, Garnett played his last game in a cast, and then he awoke at 5 a.m. for surgery the morning after that 27-23 loss on Monday night, Nov. 12. His only action that game: five snaps on the place-kicking unit.

“The good news is he’ll be available to us and we’ll see if he gets opportunities,” general manager John Lynch told 95.7 The Game on Tuesday morning. Lynch noted the 49ers were “pleased” with Garnett’s development aside from his health struggles.

“It’s kind of sad,” Garnett said. “I felt I was coming back, getting my groove back and doing well with my technique. Then I get to play in the cast.

“Apparently it shouldn’t be anything that’s debilitating or lingering,” Garnett added. “It’s just kind of a fix-it, let-it-heal type thing, then it will be good to go.”

Go where and when, though? For comparison’s sake, Washington left tackle Trent Williams has missed three games since thumb surgery, and his team is leading the NFC East. Garnett has played in only four games, totaling just 24 offensive snaps and 16 special-teams reps for the last-place 49ers.

Garnett’s season got derailed from the outset of training camp, when a knee injury crippled his bid for the right-guard spot that went to Mike Person, who hasn’t missed a start. When Person sustained a foot injury in the season opener, Garnett came in for 14 snaps before dislocating a toe and missing the next six games.

Erik Magnuson figures to continue replacing Garnett as a backup guard.

Garnett started 11 games as a rookie, then sat out last season after injuring his right knee a week into camp and taking the year to get in better shape.

“I’ve tried to battle a lot of injuries but it’s nothing that’s lingering,” Garnett said. “It’s stuff you have to get to the offseason and recover, allow the body to get some time off, to get the knee back right, and the dislocated toe and the hand.”

This is not what he envisioned after a rigorous offseason in which he shed over 20 pounds and cut his body fat from 27 percent to 21 percent.

“That’s why it’s been disappointing this year, because I felt I was finally recovered from the knee and ready to go,” Garnett said. “Then all this other (expletive) happens. But it’s just part of the game and it’s stuff I’ve got to get through day by day.

“I’ve got to really take advantage of the training staff and the time we do get off to recover and get back right for next year.”

Garnett is slated to make $968,769 next year as his rookie contract expires. That’s cheaper than this season’s $1.3 million salary, but that’s still a high price to offer one last chance for a first-round draft pick.