Albert Pujols had elbow surgery on Monday and the St. Louis Cardinals star is expected to be ready for spring training.

The 2005 National League player of the year underwent a 25-minute outpatient procedure to relieve nerve irritation in his right elbow, which had led to numbness, tingling in his ring finger and pinkie, weakness in his grip and pain along the inside of the forearm. Dr. George Paletta, the team physician who performed the surgery, said Pujols experienced those symptoms over the last month of the Major League Baseball season.

The surgery Pujols had was not the reconstructive procedure that has long been discussed. Such an operation might have sidelined Pujols, whose .357 average ranked second in MLB this season, for the first half of next season. Now it is hoped the 28-year-old slugger won’t require that procedure.

Paletta described the surgery as “a relatively minor procedure” to relieve compression on the nerve and irritation of the nerve.

Pujols has played for several seasons with a partially torn ligament in the elbow and wasn’t able to fully extend his arm, but Paletta said that’s not unique. The doctor added that Pujols’ range of motion was much better this season than in 2007.

Pujols hit .321 with eight homers and 27 RBI in September, his second-lowest monthly average, although he finished with eight hits in his final 12 at-bats. He totaled 37 homers and 116 RBI.

“Albert’s performance is remarkable day in and day out, regardless of what’s going on,” Paletta said. “Certainly, what he did over the course of the last month makes it even more remarkable.”

Hookscenter.com wire report.