Phoenix, AZ (My Sportsbook) - St. Louis Cardinals rightfielder J.D. Drew is expected to undergo surgery on his right knee after the postseason. Drew has been bothered by patellar tendinitis, which has caused constant pain in the knee.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Drew will likely undergo a lengthy rehabilitation stint following the surgery. The recovery will involve strengthening a right quadriceps muscle that has atrophied this season.

Drew is expected to be in the lineup for Thursday's Game 2 of the NLDS between the Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He sat out the opener against lefthander Randy Johnson, as St. Louis posted a 12-2 victory.

"There's times when it's felt pretty good and you think (surgery) might be avoided. Then you get reminded of the problem," Drew told the paper. "There's nothing you can do. You try everything but it just keeps getting progressively worse."

In 135 games this season, Drew batted .252 with 18 homers and 56 RBI.

In other news, manager Tony La Russa left the team Wednesday to return to his California home for what club officials termed a personal matter. He will rejoin the Cardinals today.