Free-agent OF Conforto has shoulder surgery, will return next spring

Free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto underwent shoulder surgery last week and won't play this season, his agent, Scott Boras, announced Saturday, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Conforto is expected to be ready to play next spring.

The 29-year-old injured his shoulder while diving for a ball during a workout in January and only resumed speaking with teams in late March, Boras previously revealed. It was this injury that led to Conforto requiring the surgery, which was termed a cleanup procedure, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Conforto became a free agent after turning down the New York Mets' $18.4-million qualifying offer in November. The Miami Marlins reportedly spoke with him that month, but it's unclear if their interest continued after the lockout was lifted. More recently, the independent Long Island Ducks were said to have checked in on the Seattle native.

Over seven big-league seasons, all of them with the Mets, Conforto is a .255/.356/.468 hitter with 132 homers and 396 RBIs. The one-time All-Star struggled with injuries last year, posting a .729 OPS with 14 homers in 125 games.