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Lidge’s knee surgery is successful

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Phillies announced that closer Brad Lidge had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today in Philadelphia.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Phillies announced that closer Brad Lidge had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today in Philadelphia.

The Phillies said he will need three to six weeks to fully recover and pitch again.

Lidge had surgery to repair torn cartilage in the same knee Oct. 1. A MRI on Sunday revealed that Lidge had small tears in the meniscus on the inner side of the knee. He injured the knee Saturday when his spikes caught in the mound while throwing live batting practice at the Carpenter Complex.

Team physician Michael Ciccotti performed the surgery.

"He went in and cleaned out about 15 to 18 percent of it, which leaves him a good 80 percent of the meniscus left," Phillies athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said. "For us, it really was the best -case scenario that it was the only thing going on. His other side of the knee that he had repaired [Oct. 1] was fine, so it's pretty simple for us."

If Lidge is unable to be ready come the March 31 season opener, Tom Gordon will be the team's closer.

Contact staff writer Todd Zolecki at 215-854-4874 or tzolecki@phillynews.com. Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/zozone.

 

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