10/18/2002<br>
Drew has surgery<br>
By Jared Hoffman<br>
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ST. LOUIS -- As expected, Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew, who played with patellar tendinitis in his right knee during the entire 2002 season, had surgery on Thursday to remove a portion of the patellar tendon that was diseased. <br>
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The surgery was performed Cardinals head physician Dr. George Paletta. <br>
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Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty said Drew might not be 100 percent at the start of next season. "Until we get further into the rehab, we won't have a timetable for him," said Jocketty. "Going into the start of the season, he would probably be a part-time player." <br>
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After the Cardinals' loss to the Giants in the National League Championship Series, Drew said he was looking forward to having surgery so he can be at full strength next season. <br>
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"The knee was hurting me all the time and really altered my swing," said Drew. "This game isn't meant to be played hurt." <br>
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Drew hit .252 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in 135 games this season. <br>
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After hitting .323 with 27 homers and 73 RBIs in 109 games in 2001, Drew was expected to have a breakout year in 2002, but the pain in his knee greatly hampered his production and in the second half of the season, he spent time on the disabled list and didn't often start consecutive games. <br>
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