Major League Baseball

Bautista has sports hernia surgery

Published Oct. 21, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista has had surgery to repair a sports hernia.

The team says the operation was performed Thursday in Philadelphia ''without complication'' and his recovery will take four to six weeks. He is expected to be ready for spring training.

Bautista led the majors with 54 home runs this season, obliterating his previous career high of 16. He also had 124 RBIs and made his first All-Star team.

Toronto says Bautista had been bothered by the injury since May but played through the discomfort the rest of the season. It certainly didn't appear to hamper him at the plate.

The 30-year-old Bautista batted .260 this year with 100 walks and 109 runs.