TUCSON, Ariz. -- Matt Williams, sidelined by injuries much of the past two seasons, underwent surgery Monday to repair a broken left leg and dislocated left ankle.

Doctors said he also damaged ligaments in the leg. His return will be weeks past the team's season opener at home against San Diego on April 1.

	Matt Williams now faces his third straight injury-marred season.

While the Arizona Diamondbacks said there was no estimated date for his return, Williams was placed into a non-weight-bearing cast within 10 days. The doctors added Williams would wear the cast and be on crutches for the next six weeks and then would have to wear a protective boot for six more. Only then would Williams even be allowed to wear soft shoes.

The cast won't be placed on his leg until another 10 days. Until then, the leg will be in a splint.

Williams was fielding ground balls on a side field at the Tucson Electric Park complex when he rolled his ankle. Taken by ambulance to the University Medical Center, he was found to have a fracture in his left fibula -- the long, thin outer bone of the lower leg -- about six inches above the ankle.

Surgeons Pete Mitchell and Michael Lee performed surgery in Phoenix Monday night to repair the break.

The operation included attaching an eight hole plate to the damaged fibula, inserting a large screw to hold the ligament that connects the fibula to the tibia bone, and repairing the deltoid ligament on the inner surface of the ankle.

"There were no complications and Dr. Mitchell and I are pleased with the results of the procedure," Dr. Lee said. "The post-operative X-rays looked as we had hoped and there were no surprises internally. We will progress Matt functionally as the healing process allows us to do so."

Williams was staying at the hospital overnight.

Williams has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons.

In 2000, he broke his left foot when he fouled a ball off of it in his final spring training game.

Williams didn't get off the disabled list until May 23, then was troubled by a strained quadriceps until September that year and played just 96 games.

Last year, Williams was healthy coming out of camp, but strained his left hamstring early and missed 47 games while on the disabled list for the third time in two years.

Monday's injury stunned the World Series champions, especially because it occurred while Williams was routinely fielding grounders.

"The extent of the damage is shocking considering how quickly it happened and how innocuous it looked," manager Bob Brenly said.

Williams said he slipped in the dirt and got his foot caught underneath his body. He said he immediately realized his ankle was dislocated.

Williams struggled at the plate last season, losing his customary spot as the cleanup hitter. He had worked in the offseason to alter his swing and had been satisfied with his progress.

"I worked hard to prepare myself, so needless to say I'm disappointed," Williams said when he returned to the Tucson clubhouse to talk to reporters before going to Phoenix for the operation. "I can't do anything about it except heal up and do the proper rehab on the field as quickly as possible."

Williams, 36, is in the final year of the five-year, $45 million contract he signed with the expansion Diamondbacks in 1998.

The extent of the injury means Arizona will go well into the season without the third baseman.

Jay Bell, who shifted from shortstop to second base two season ago, filled in for the injured Williams at third much of last season. Craig Counsell also saw considerable action there before becoming the everyday second baseman. Danny Klassen, who spent last season on the injured list, is a candidate, as is Junior Spivey.

"Our versatility is one of the strong points of this ballclub," Brenly said. "A number of people could enter into the mix. We feel very comfortable with anybody that we play over there. Obviously, we wish it was Matty, and we're going to miss him. But, that being said, I think that with the versatility and the experience we have we'll be OK."