Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann might miss the start of next season after undergoing right shoulder surgery Tuesday.
The surgery, performed by Braves orthopedic surgeon Xavier Duralde, was limited to the posterior part of the shoulder, in an attempt to prevent further partial dislocations, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The newspaper reported that McCann could need four to six months to recover, which likely would cause him to miss the start of spring training, at the least.
This summer, McCann had been diagnosed with a frayed labrum and a cyst on the shoulder joint. He played through the ailment, and the results showed in his most disappointing season of his career.
McCann, 28, had career lows in batting average (.230), on-base percentage (.300) and slugging percentage (.399). He played 121 games, but he didn’t get the start for the Braves in the National League wild-card game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He came off the bench and drew a walk in Atlanta’s 6-3 loss, a game best remembered for the controversial infield fly rule call in left field that gave St. Louis a key out.