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LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp's busy offseason continued Monday, as he had surgery to remove torn cartilage in his left ankle, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. It is the second offseason surgery for Kemp, who had a procedure to clean up the A-C- joint in his left shoulder on Oct. 8.
The Dodgers added that the surgery was an arthroscopic procedure which involved several spurs, a loose body, and doing a microfracture on the talus bone, the weight-bearing bone in his ankle which had swelling in September.
Kemp sprained his left ankle in an awkward slide at home plate in Washginton D.C. against the Nationals on July 21, missing 52 games in his third disabled list stint of the season. Kemp returned in September but was shut down during the season's final weekend with fears that he could break his ankle by continuing to play.
Kemp's agent Dave Stewart told Hernandez the procedure was done by ankle specialist Robert Anderson in North Carolina, and that Kemp as expected won't be able to put any weight on the ankle for the month.
The Dodgers added that Kemp will be in a splint for two weeks and in a non-weight-bearing walking boot for two weeks after that.
General manager Ned Colletti said earlier on Monday no surgical procedures were planned at this time for anyone on the roster, which was probably technically correct since Kemp's surgery was likely already done when Colletti said it, but still fishy nonetheless.
More Hernandez:
But Stewart tried to find a positive in the setback, saying Kemp will be able to do the upper-body work he couldn’t do last winter. Kemp will also be able to strengthen his core and hamstrings, the agent said.
"We’re anticipating he’ll be ready for the season," Stewart said.
Kemp hit just .270/.328/.395 with six home runs in 73 games in 2013, including .251/.305/.335 in the first two months of the season after his offseason was decimated by major surgery on his left shoulder.
It sounds like this time around Kemp won't be as limited in his offseason workouts, which could mean better production and/or health in 2014. But since Kemp has missed 145 of the last 290 games dating back to 2012, he's got a lot to prove heading into next season.