Cron undergoes successful right thumb surgery

MINNEAPOLIS --- Twins first baseman C.J. Cron underwent a successful surgical debridement on his right thumb on Oct. 16, the 29-year-old revealed via an Instagram post on Tuesday.

In a debridement procedure, the affected area is thoroughly cleaned while debris or damaged or dead tissue is removed. According to the Twins, the recovery process is expected to take six to eight weeks. Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey had characterized the injury as a bone bruise in September and added after the season that surgery was a potential option in the offseason.

"Step One complete," Cron wrote on Instagram. "Now onto the rehab. Thank you Dr. [Thomas] Graham for fixing it up. 2020 can’t come quick enough!"

The thumb had been an issue for Cron throughout the second half of the season, when he was limited to a .229/.280/.420 batting line with eight homers in only 38 starts. Cron first hit the injured list with inflammation in the thumb on July 6 and returned to the shelf on July 22 with the same injury.

Even upon Cron's return, the Twins scaled back his action in September in an effort to facilitate the recovery process, as the slugger made only seven starts from Sept. 8 through the end of the season. Cron made only one start in the Yankees' sweep of the Twins in the American League Division Series, going 1-for-5 with a walk and a single.

Cron was claimed off waivers from the Rays prior to the 2019 season and will enter his final year of eligibility for salary arbitration in '20. Cron earned $4.8 million last season and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $7.7 million for the upcoming campaign.