Pujols has surgery on right elbow

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols had surgery Wednesday on bone spurs and bone chips in his right elbow, the Cardinals said.

The National League team termed the operation, performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., "successful." The arthroscopic procedure was a "debridement" of bone spurs in addition to the removal of bone chips from Pujols's throwing arm elbow.

The operation was unrelated to a nerve operation Pujols had last year.

The Cardinals said Pujols was expected to immediately begin rehabilitation and should be ready to play by spring training next year.

Pujols hit .327 and with 47 home runs and 135 runs batted in last season. He has batted .334 and has hit 366 home runs over a nine-year career, all with St. Louis. Pujols has been voted the NL Most Valuable Player twice (2005, 2008) and has been selected to the All-Star team eight times. He is considered a front-runner to win the MVP award this year.