ST.LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs second-year player Kyle Schwarber underwent surgery on his left knee Tuesday to repair two torn ligaments suffered in an outfield collision with teammate Dexter Fowler during the first week of the season.
The team said surgery went well and didn't reveal any nerve damage.
"He'll start rehab right away," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Tuesday afternoon. "We want him around the club."
Schwarber was operated on by Dr. Daniel Cooper, the team physician for the Dallas Cowboys. Schwarber is expected to return to Chicago by Thursday and begin rehab at Wrigley Field.
"It is good, so now we'll just wait until they send him back to us and get on with the rehab situation," manager Joe Maddon said.
Schwarber had a "full reconstruction" of his ACL and a "repair" of his LCL on Tuesday and hopes to be ready by spring training next year. If all goes well, he'll continue to catch as well as play the outfield.
"We haven't talked through all that stuff," Hoyer said. "Let's get away from the surgery a little bit. ... He knows what's ahead."
Maddon and Hoyer want Schwarber around the team for his sake as well as theirs. They feel his camaraderie with his teammates adds to the chemistry of the team.
"We miss that personality the most," Hoyer said.