Adrian Gonzalez undergoes surgery

It is hard to imagine that just six months ago the Padres biggest headline stories were those surrounding the trade rumors of Adrian Gonzalez.  It seemed like everyone, even San Diego, expected Adrian to serve as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade that would provide the Padres with the young talent they needed to rebuild their clubhouse.  However, the Padres managed to resist all the tempting offers on the table and keep their star infielder.  And it was a good thing they did. 

It is no secret that the Padres exceeded any expectations that they were labeled with prior to their 2010 season.  Once predicted to be the laughing stock of the National League, the Padres quickly silenced their critics with timely hitting and exceptional pitching.  Though they did not make it to the playoffs, San Diego finished the regular season with a record of 90 and 72.  A far cry from where they were predicted to finish. 

A big reason for their success was the bat of Adrian Gonzalez.  In his fifth year as a Padre, Adrian hit 31 home runs with 101 RBIs while compiling a .298 batting average.  A phenomenal year to say the least.  One can even argue that his stats could have been even better if he had not suffered an early injury to his right shoulder.

In May of this year, Adrian hurt his right shoulder while diving for a foul ball in Houston.  While it was far from a season ending injury, it did affect his approach to the game for the rest of the year.  He took it upon himself to guard his shoulder from any further damage.  This meant an altered batting stance, a lighter bat, and even a different mentality.

Now that the Padres Cinderella season has come to an end, Adrian looks to surgery as the answer to his shoulder problems.  Today Gonzalez left for New York to have surgery on his right labrum; a ring of tissue that helps to stabilize the shoulder joint. 

The surgery is a relatively simple procedure and has a very high recovery rate.  Those who have the surgery usually have a full recovery by the end of six months.  If all goes well, Adrian should be back and ready to play by spring training with a pain free shoulder. 

Padre fans should expect to see Adrian Gonzalez in the headlines once again.  However, there will be no mention of trade talks this time because the team has a $6.2 million option for 2011 that they intend to pick up.