SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants catcher Buster Posey announced Friday that he will undergo season-ending hip surgery on Monday that he hopes will help him regain his full range of skilll as a hitter.
The procedure could delay the start of Posey's participation in the 2019 season. Posey said that Dave Groeschner, the Giants' senior director of athletic training, told him that he could be sidelined for six to eight months.
"So if things go smoothly with no hiccups, I'll be ready to go next Opening Day," said Posey, 31.
The Giants are scheduled to open next season at San Diego on March 28 -- approximately seven months from now. If Posey could rehabilitate himself into playing shape in six months, he would be ready for Spring Training by the end of February, two weeks after pitchers and catchers report for workouts.
History favors Posey. He recovered smoothly from multiple left leg injuries which he sustained in a home-plate collision in 2011. One year later, he won the National League Most Valuable Player award and earned the first of six All-Star recognitions.
Posey will undergo the procedure in Vail, Colo., and it will be performed by Dr. Mark J. Philippon, a renowned hip surgeon. Posey acknowledged that he'll undergo labral repair and the removal of a bone spur in his right hip. He attributed his ailments to the cumulative wear and tear of catching, not to any particular incident.
The goal of having surgery, said Posey, will be to "get you back to getting that range in your hip that's pretty vital for hitting."

Posey has recorded a .284/.359/.382 slash line, significantly below the .306/.374/.465 averages he recorded in 1,143 games entering this year. He has accumulated five home runs and 41 RBIs, also far from his usual pace.
Posey said that he was prepared to play the rest of the season had the Giants remained in contention for a postseason spot. That's no longer realistic, given the team's 63-67 record, though the Giants have not yet been mathematically eliminated.
"You don't want to say you're out of it until you're out of it," Posey said. "But unfortunately, where we are, I think it makes the most sense to get this taken care of."