LAS VEGAS _ Done gallivanting around the globe to do everything from sight-see to represent Major League Baseball in Japan, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will resume his offseason preparation after he has surgery Thursday to address a sore knee.
Molina will have a cleanup procedure done to repair a nagging irritation in his left knee _ something that he described during the season but continued to play through. John Mozeliak, the team's president of baseball operations, said he was notified of Molina's surgery in the past week and that he was assured that the procedure would not require less than 10 days to recover.
Mozeliak suggested Molina would have gone on the disabled list if it was during the season.
Molina, 36, missed a month of the season recovering from a violent injury to his groin, and still he returned to catch more than 1,000 innings for the fourth consecutive season. Molina participated in baseball's All-Star tour of Japan after the season.
The Cardinals expect Molina to be able to resume his usual offseason workouts and running program by January, and if the procedure goes as advertised Thursday he won't have any issues when spring training arrives, Mozeliak said.
Mozeliak provided the update on Molina during his session with the media on the first night of the winter meetings at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
