The injury could have cost Maybin the entire season, but by avoiding surgery, he has a chance to return in four to six weeks.
Padres general manager Josh Byrnes was worried that he'd be without centerfielder Cameron Maybin for the entire 2014 season after the initial diagnosis of the injury. However, after further examination, San Diego team doctors do not think the injury will require surgery, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
Instead the 26-year-old will rest and begin rehabbing the injury soon.
He could be back in as soon as four to six weeks.
That's much better than the original diagnosis, which predicted he would miss at least two to three months due to surgery and the time he would need to recover.
Maybin suffered the injury while making a diving catch in a spring game against the Dodgers.
Last season, he appeared in just 14 games due to a wrist injury that required surgery and a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. In the two seasons before that abbreviated campaign, Maybin played in 284 games, stealing 66 bases with a batting line of .253/.315/.371 and a strong glove in center. He is locked up in San Diego through 2016 and the club holds an option for the 2017 season.
With Maybin out of the lineup, Will Venable figures to see time in center field. Chris Denorfia could get some additional at bats as well. The team's addition of Seth Smith this offseason could also help them mitigate the loss of Maybin.