Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will undergo a minor clean-up surgery on his knee next week, according to reports first brought to light by Primera Hora, which cited Molina's agent Melvin Roman.
The reports did not specify which knee will be operated on, but Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed to St. Louis Baseball Weekly that Molina will undergo a "very small procedure" that shouldn't sideline the nine-time All-Star for anything more than a few days. The team fully expects Molina to be ready by Spring Training.
To public knowledge, Molina hasn't previously dealt with anything in his knees beyond some soreness in 2013. The backstop claimed his ninth Rawlings Gold Glove Award this offseason after spending 1,017 2/3 innings behind the plate for St. Louis in '18. Molina's bat remained potent, too, as he hit 20 home runs while compiling a .750 OPS.
St. Louis traded Minor League catcher Carson Kelly -- long seen as Molina's heir apparent -- this past week in a trade that netted the team superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, further signaling the Cardinals' belief in Molina in the next handful of years.