Justin Turner’s knee surgery included microfracture procedure

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said the left knee operation he underwent last month was for more than removing loose bodies.

Turner said he also had microfracture surgery on the knee, a procedure similar to the one Matt Kemp had on his left ankle at the end of the 2013 season.

While attending a charity softball game hosted by Adrian Gonzalez last weekend, Turner explained that a piece of cartilage had torn off on the outside part of his knee.

To facilitate the growth of new cartilage, Turner said, “they drill holes in it and let the blood come out and refill the area that the cartilage broke out of.”

Turner, who played a significant part of the season with a bruise on that knee, believes the cartilage injury occurred in the playoffs.

“My MRI before the playoffs was fine and my MRI after the playoffs showed a bunch of different stuff,” Turner said.

Turner will be on crutches for two to four more weeks. He is expected to start running at full strength in three months.

“I’ll be 100% well before spring training,” he said.

Turner is eligible for salary arbitration for the upcoming season and is expected to receive a raise from the $2.5 million he made this year.