Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera said he'll undergo surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia to repair a tear in his groin that limited his effectiveness during the playoffs.
"Those are decisions you have to make sometimes, if not it affects your future," Cabrera told ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas on Sunday. "If not, it could hurt your career, and that's what I based my decision on. I consulted with the team and made this decision personally so I could keep playing with the team. I tried to [play hurt] to take advantage of the chance we had in the playoffs, because with so many good teams you never know when a chance like this will come along. It took me eight or nine years to get back in the playoffs and I wanted to be back there and help the team win."
Detroit media reported that the Tigers confirmed the news Sunday night.
Cabrera hit .348 with 44 home runs and 137 RBIs this season, but he was bothered for the last couple of months by a number of injuries. He batted .262 with two home runs in 11 postseason games. Detroit lost to the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series.
Cabrera said he is focusing on making adjustments for next season.
"I don't know anything about the operation, I don't want to know the details, I just hope it heals fast. I am trusting that the doctors can fix the problem," he said. "I have a lot left in me."
General manager Dave Dombrowski said last week that Cabrera was checked by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia before the postseason. Cabrera agreed to see Meyers only after the team promised the third baseman he wouldn't be shut down.
Information from ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas was used in this report.
