TUCSON, Ari. — Arizona third baseman Matt Williams had surgery Monday night after dislocating his left ankle and breaking a bone in his leg during a workout at the Diamondbacks' spring training camp.

        Williams was to remain in the hospital at least overnight and was placed in a splint. He'll be fitted for a non-weight bearing cast within the next 10 days and will have to wear it for about six weeks, the team said. He had a plate and a screw inserted into the leg to help his fibula heal.

        “I don't think it would end his season, but I don't want to make any predictions,” said Arizona trainer Paul Lessard.

        Williams was fielding groundballs with Tony Womack when he slipped on the infield dirt, dislocating his ankle and breaking a bone in his fibula. He was taken by ambulance to a Tucson hospital.

        “The post-operative X-rays looked as we had hoped and there were no surprises internally,” said Diamondbacks team doctor Michael Lee, who wouldn't offer a timetable for Williams' return. “We will progress Matt functionally as the healing process allows us to do so, but overall we are pleased with the outcome.”

        Williams, 36, is a career .269 hitter with 362 home runs for San Francisco, Cleveland and Arizona. He's a four-time Gold Glove Award winner at third base, and has finished in the top six in the National League Most Valuable Player voting four times.

        Williams hit .275 with 16 homers and 65 RBI last year. He appeared in only 106 games because of hamstring and hip injuries.

        “I worked hard to prepare myself for this season,” Williams told reporters at the Diamondbacks' camp. “Needless to say, I'm extremely disappointed.”

        Jay Bell, Danny Klassen, Greg Colbrunn and Craig Counsell are among the possible candidates to play third base for Arizona during Williams's absence.

        “Our versatility is one of the strong points of this ballclub,” manager Bob Brenly said. “A number of people could enter into the mix. We feel very comfortable with anybody we play over there.”

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