Astros catcher Jason Castro underwent surgery on his left foot last Friday and will be sidelined for approximately three months.
Houston made the announcement Monday.
The surgical procedure, known as a sesamoidectomy, was performed by Dr. Kevin Varner at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Castro began to notice the injury last month while playing for Salt River during the 2011 Arizona Fall League championship game.
The 24-year-old Castro hit .289 (11-for-38) with four RBI, a double and six runs scored over 12 games leading into the championship.
He hit .344 over his final 10 regular-season AFL games.
Castro told Examiner.com last month that he felt stronger and emphasized the importance of him getting some at-bat during the AFL.
A source close to the situation informed Examiner.com that the young catcher took a step forward with his performance this fall for Salt River, but at the same time, he battled aches and pains.
When an athlete has a long layoff from competition due to injury, such as Castro, it's not uncommon for him or her to experience soreness while settling back into a consistent workout routine.
Although Castro remains confident in the progression of his knee, he dismissed the other soreness as being routine and not a big deal.
He simply hoped it would go away.
Unfortunately, it became apparent over the last few weeks that Castro needed surgery on his left foot when the pain didn't subside.
By getting the surgery now, Castro played it smart and will likely return to action at the midway point in Spring Training for the Astros.
Former Astros general manager Ed Wade told Examiner.com a few months ago that getting a healthy Castro back for 2012 represents one of the best additions Houston could make this offseason.
Astros manager Brad Mills will likely rely on veteran Humberto Quintero, Craig Tatum and Carlos Corporan until Castro can rejoin the mix.
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