Albert Pujols, who had hoped to finally enjoy an injury-free offseason, underwent surgery on Friday to repair the plantar fascia in his right foot.
The rehab time is expected to be four months, which could threaten his availability for opening day.
The news was a surprise because Pujols had said in September that he would not need surgery, and general manager Billy Eppler affirmed that as recently as a month ago.
Eppler said Friday that the shock wave treatment Pujols had in September had shown results early in the offseason, but not as much lately.