St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina had a second operation on his left thumb Tuesday and will be in a cast for 4-5 weeks.
Molina, 33, had surgery to repair a damaged thumb ligament in mid-October, but that procedure apparently wasn't successful.
The team is hopeful Molina can return by Opening Day. After the first procedure, the Cardinals had anticipated he would be ready for spring training.
The seven-time All-Star suffered the injury against the Cubs on Sept. 20 and missed the remainder of the regular season. Molina returned for the first three games of the NLDS but didn't play in Game 4.
In games this past season, Molina batted .270/.310/.350 with 23 doubles, four homers and 61 RBI. He also won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove Award.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
