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Adam LaRoche had surgery on his left shoulder this morning at Washington Hospital Center, the Nationals announced. The first baseman should be ready for "full participation" in spring training next year, though the Nationals haven't announced exactly what the operation fixed in LaRoche's shoulder.
The first baseman has said he had a large tear of his left labrum, but team doctor Wiemi Douoguih, who performed the surgery, said on Tuesday night he wouldn't know how major an operation was required until he began it. He added LaRoche's recovery time could be three to four months for a smaller operation and up to six months for a larger one.
We'll let you know more once the Nationals have more information on the surgery.
Update: LaRoche had a superior labrum, anterior to posterior, or SLAP tear. That's essentially a full tear of his labrum, and is one of the bigger shoulder injuries a player can sustain. Cristian Guzman and Jesus Flores also had the injury, and each missed a full season, though Guzman had the surgery in March and Flores had his September. Ryan Wagner also had the surgery, and never pitched in the majors again after the 2007 season, and of course, Chad Cordero never pitched for the Nationals again after the surgery.
If there's a difference with LaRoche, it's that he plays a position which doesn't require nearly as many long throws. The Nationals expect him to be ready for spring training 2012.
