NewsFrancoeur undergoes thumb surgery
Outfielder expected to be ready in time for Spring Training
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
11/02/09 5:32 PM EST
NEW YORK -- The thumb injury which, at times, seemed to make Jeff Francoeur a better hitter has been repaired. The Mets right fielder underwent surgery to repair a tear of the collateral ligament in his left thumb Monday in Atlanta. Francoeur is expected to be ready for Spring Training in mid-February.The procedure was performed by Dr. Gary Lourie. Following the surgery, both he and Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York said that the surgery had gone according to plan.
Francoeur, 25, tore the ligament in the thumb of his glove hand while making a catch in right field in the Mets' game against the Phillies at Citi Field on Aug. 23. From that point, he batted .319 with a .493 slugging percentage with 17 RBIs, four home runs and 12 doubles in 138 at-bats. His overall production in 289 at-bats with the Mets included a .311 average, a .498 slugging percentage, 41 RBIs, 10 home runs, 20 doubles and two triples. He frequently joked that he would forego surgery because his swing seemed to improve after the injury.
The Mets obtained Francoeur from the Braves in a deal for Ryan Church on July 10. Before the deal, Francoeur had batted .250 with a .352 slugging percentage, 35 RBIs, five home runs, 12 doubles, two triples and five home runs in 324 at-bats.
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
