Corey Hart is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after undergoing successful surgery this morning to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. This is the same timetable that was originally estimated by the Brewers over the weekend.
Hart hasn’t ruled out the possibility of being ready for Opening Day, but it’s still likely that he’ll begin the season on the disabled list. But because a DL stint can be backdated to March 26, he could return as soon as the second series of the season if all goes well with his rehab.
Brewers’ manager Ron Roenicke would prefer to keep Carlos Gomez in center field whenever he plays, likely against left-handed pitching, so Norichika Aoki and Nyjer Morgan figure to split playing time in right field during Hart’s absence.
Hart, 29, batted .285/.356/.510 with 26 home runs, 63 RBI and an .866 OPS in 130 games last season with Milwaukee.
