Carlos Quentin to Undergo Knee Surgery; Miss 4-6 Weeks

San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin has been hampered by knee discomfort since the beginning of spring training.  Initially the club thought it was a minor injury that would sort itself out with time, but Dan Hayes of the North County Times reported yesterday that Quentin will require surgery.  The procedure will sideline Quentin for four-to-six weeks, meaning he’ll start the regular season on the Padres disabled list.

Earlier in the week, Padres manager Bud Black told reporters that he didn’t think Quentin’s injury was severe.  However, Black told Hayes Saturday that San Diego and Quentin wanted to get the surgery out of the way now so that the slugger’s knee wouldn’t be an issue down the road.  Quentin said that by conducting the procedure now he’s saving himself from spending significant time on the DL later in the year.

The Padres acquired Quentin this offseason from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor leaguers Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez.  The 28-year-old is a two-time All-Star who sports a career OPS of .836.  Last season for the White Sox Quentin hit at a clip of .254/.340/.499 with 24 home runs and 31 doubles over his 118 games played.

With the injury to Quentin, the door figures to be opening for former top prospect Kyle Blanks.  Before word of Quentin’s surgery, Blanks was on San Diego’s roster bubble.  Now, with Quentin set to miss the start of the season, the 25-year-old Blanks could potentially see significant time in left field.  Over his three major league seasons, Blanks has posted a career line of .219/.315/.424.

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