TAMPA — Free agent Carlos Delgado had hip surgery on Wednesday and will miss at least four months, his agent, David Sloane, told The Post.
Delgado, 37, had been working out recently in an attempt to sign with a major league team, but felt continuing discomfort in his right hip, which was operated upon last May when he was still with the Mets. Frustrated, he decided to seek the opinion of Dr. Marc Phillipon, who did Alex Rodriguez’s hip surgery last year.
It was determined that Delgado needed surgery to reconstruct the labrum in his hip. The procedure was done by Phillipon at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo. Delgado already is riding a stationary bicycle and plans to stay in Vail for about two months before completing his rehabilitation at home in Puerto Rico.
“The prognosis is that Carlos Delgado will be the Carlos Delgado of old in four months rather than an old Carlos Delgado,” Sloane said.
Delgado had played in the Puerto Rico winter league to try to show suitors, possibly even the Mets, that he was capable of playing. But scouts reported that his movement was still inhibited.
On May 18, 2009, the Mets announced that Delgado had a bone spur and a torn labrum in his hip, and he would have to undergo surgery. The Mets reported on May 19 that the surgery was successful and Delgado would be out for approximately 10 weeks, which would delay Delgado’s quest for 500 home runs. However, the first major league player to hit a home run into the Pepsi Porch at Citi Field did not play again in 2009.
Delgado filed for free agency on Nov. 5. Delgado made his return to the PRBL for the 2009-10 season, registering a batting average of .364 and one home run in his first three games.