Free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto will miss the entire season after having surgery on his right shoulder.
Conforto’s agent, Scott Boras, confirmed late Saturday night in a text message to The Associated Press that Conforto had surgery last week performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, head physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams.
Conforto is expected to make a full recovery and return to the field in spring training next year, Boras said.
The New York Post was first to report that Conforto had surgery.
The 29-year-old Conforto spent his first 6 1/2 major league seasons with the New York Mets before becoming a free agent last fall. He turned down an $18.4 million qualifying offer from the Mets in November.
Last month, Boras said Conforto got hurt while training in January during Major League Baseball’s labor lockout, which ended in March.
Conforto, an All-Star in 2017, had a disappointing season last year, batting .232 with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and a .729 OPS in 125 games. He missed time early in the season with a hamstring injury.
Conforto was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2014 out of Oregon State and helped them reach the 2015 World Series after making his big league debut in late July that year. He is a .255 career hitter with 132 home runs, 396 RBIs and an .824 OPS.
The left-handed hitter set career highs with 33 homers and 92 RBIs in 2019, and batted a career-best .322 with a .927 OPS in 54 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
