Wanting to be at full strength as he prepares for his final audition before possibly hitting the free-agent market, Mark Teixeira opted to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.
The procedure was performed on his left knee in late November by noted surgeon Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo. The Braves are confident that their switch-hitting first baseman will be healthy when Spring Training begins.
"He was told he should be back to 100 percent in six weeks," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "It shouldn't impact him at all. That's why he chose to get it done."
If this timetable holds true, Teixeira should be able to begin baseball-related exercises in the middle portion of January. The Braves' first full-squad workout at Spring Training is scheduled for Feb. 20.
"Three weeks ago I had a minor procedure on my left knee to clean out loose tissue," Teixeira said. "Although I didn't miss any time because of the knee last season, I underwent the procedure to avoid any problems in the future. I will be back to 100 percent in a few weeks and look forward to a healthy, productive 2008 season."
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