The San Francisco Giants placed All-Star catcher Buster Posey on the disabled list this past weekend, lending credence to the idea that one of the game’s best backstops would in fact undergo season-ending hip surgery.
That’s now happened. Per a release from the Giants (h/t KNBR), Posey underwent surgery in Colorado on Monday.
San Francisco’s press release notes that the surgery was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail. It’s not 100 percent known how long Posey’s rehab will take, but he’s expected to be out 6-8 months. The eight-month timeline would have him return in time for Opening Day.
Posey, 31, has been dealing with the hip injury all season. It forced him to miss the All-Star Game and has obviously impacted him at the plate. He ends the season having hit .284 with five homers and 41 RBI.
Prospect Aramis Garcia will replace Posey behind the plate for the remainder of the season. A second-round pick back in 2014, Garcia was hitting .233 with 11 homers and 37 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A at the time of the call. He’s currently the Giants’ No. 15 prospect, according to MLB.com.
Depending on how Garcia performs through the remainder of the season, there’s a chance Posey’s days as a catcher are behind him. Should Garcia show out, Posey could very well be moved to first place as early as next season.
That was the idea when San Francisco selected fellow catcher Joey Bart No. 2 overall in this year’s draft. Posey’s hip injury could expedite things in this regard.