Rafael Furcal injury: Cardinals SS underwent Tommy John surgery

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, according to Rick Hummel of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

While undergoing Tommy John surgery, Furcal also had a bone spur taken care of. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Florida, and it's been termed a success. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told reporters "we heard everything went as well as could be expected."

Prior to the announcement that Furcal required surgery, the Cardinals were holding out hope that he wouldn't be sidelined for an extened period of time. They were prepared for him to miss the start of the season, but after undergoing Tommy John surgery, he'll be sidelined for the entire 2013 campaign.

There have been rumors that St. Louis could look to the market for additional depth at shortstop as the end of spring approaches. However, the team appears to be comfortable entering the season with Pete Kozma as their regular at the position. Ronny Cedeno and/or Daniel Descalso are expected to fill in as reserves.

Following his diagnosis, Furcal told reporters that he would likely play winter ball in the Dominican Republic to show teams that he's healthy. The veteran is entering the final year of his contract, so he'll be seeking a free agent deal next offseason.