Agent says free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto had surgery on shoulder, will be ready for 2023

Free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto had shoulder surgery last week and will be ready to return in 2023, his agent, Scott Boras, told reporters Saturday.

Conforto, 29, spent the first seven years of his career with the New York Mets. New York extended an $18.4 million qualifying offer in November to Conforto, who turned it down to test free agency.

Boras confirmed late Saturday night in a text message to The Associated Press that Conforto had surgery last week performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, head physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams.

Last month, Boras said Conforto got hurt while training in January during Major League Baseball's labor lockout, which ended in March.

Conforto, an All-Star in 2017, had a disappointing season last year, batting .232 with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and a .729 OPS in 125 games. He missed time early in the season with a hamstring injury.

Conforto was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2014 out of Oregon State and helped them reach the 2015 World Series after making his big league debut in late July that year. He is a .255 career hitter with 132 home runs, 396 RBIs and an .824 OPS.

The left-handed hitter set career highs with 33 homers and 92 RBIs in 2019 and batted a career-best .322 with a .927 OPS in 54 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.