Cincinnati Reds slugger Ken Griffey Jr. announced that he will have surgery on his left knee and right hamstring and that he is done playing for the season. The 35-year-old centerfielder was enjoying a successful comeback this year, hitting .301 with 35 home runs and 92 RBIs in 128 games. He had not played in Cincinnati's past 15 games as a result of his injuries.
Griffey is presently tied with Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle for 12th on the all-time home run list with 536.
Griffey will undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean out his left knee and to treat scar tissue around his hamstring. The hamstring injury had caused the Reds superstar to miss almost all of 2004 and threatened his career.
The Reds are out of the pennant race this year despite Griffey's return. They are presently 70-81, 25 games behind the NL Central leaders the St. Louis Cardinals.
According to the Reds, their superstar will be ready for spring training in February.
