Tim Kurkjian says Pablo Sandoval's left shoulder injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season could be a blessing if he's able to be productive and keep his weight on target. (1:11)

Kurkjian: Sandoval needs to use the time off the field productively (1:11)

If Pablo Sandoval is going to win back his job with the Boston Red Sox, it won't be until at least next season.

Sandoval underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder on Tuesday in Pensacola, Florida. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews.

"The surgery went as well as it could be expected," Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. "I talked to Pablo already myself today. I talked to representative Rick Thurman [of Beverly Hill Sports Council]. Pablo's happy to be able to have fixed the problem and committed to get ready for next year."

The Red Sox said the third baseman is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2017 season.

According to Dombrowski, Sandoval will remain in the Boston area as he awaits the birth of his second child, then will return to South Florida to begin rehab. Dombrowski described the team's priorities related to Sandoval as "get him healthy, and then we'll go from there.

"Everyone's asking about 2017 -- What are you going to do when David [Ortiz] retires? Are you going to do this? -- and my response even at that point is, let's go through 2016 and worry about that during the winter time."

Pablo Sandoval, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 11 because of a strained left shoulder, will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on Tuesday. Jonathan Dyer/USA TODAY Sports

The announcement that Sandoval would have surgery was the latest twist in a bizarre saga surrounding the 29-year-old, who signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Red Sox in November 2014, one month after winning his third World Series in five years with the San Francisco Giants.

Sandoval reported to spring training out of shape and lost his job to upstart Travis Shaw, who has emerged as a middle-of-the-order hitter for the Red Sox. Relegated to a bench role for which he never seemed to be a fit, Sandoval went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts and snapped his belt on a big swing in his only start of the season April 9 in Toronto.

Four days later, Sandoval complained of shoulder soreness, though neither he nor manager John Farrell could determine how or when he was injured. The Sox placed Sandoval on the disabled list before he was examined by team physicians. After Sandoval underwent an MRI exam, Dombrowski said only that there was "a great deal going on in his left shoulder, from a medical perspective."

Sandoval went to see Andrews on April 18, but the noted orthopedist was unable to examine him because there was still too much inflammation in his shoulder.

Asked last week whether he feared he would need surgery, Sandoval said, "I don't know. I'm not a doctor. I'm going to let them make the decisions."

Sandoval endured the worst season of his career last year, as he batted .245 with 10 homers and a .658 OPS. Although Sandoval has struggled to maintain his weight throughout his nine-year big league career, several Red Sox officials believed his girth limited his agility and range and contributed to an overall decline in his defense last season.

Sandoval's older brother, Michael Sandoval, a former minor league infielder with the Minnesota Twins, believes the conditioning issues stem from the "lack of professionalism and seriousness" of Sandoval's personal trainer, Rafael Alvarez. Michael Sandoval accused Alvarez of not adhering to the workout goals outlined by the Red Sox.

"There was never a conditioning plan as such, but the Red Sox offered their staff to support Pablo in his exercise routine. They met with Pablo's personal trainer, and they handed a workout plan to be followed for Pablo, but his personal trainer never did it," Michael Sandoval wrote in an email to ESPN. "[Alvarez] isn't guided by this plan, as shown by the results so far."

Pablo Sandoval has not commented on Michael Sandoval's criticism of Alvarez's work.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, were disappointed that Pablo Sandoval didn't lose significant weight after the end of the previous season. But one high-ranking team official also noted that the club frequently dispatched staff members to check on Sandoval in South Florida last winter and was satisfied by his progress, which included two-a-days that began in October.

"Pablo worked hard this offseason," the official said.

Dombrowski said Tuesday that Sandoval has already dropped weight this season while under the Red Sox's care on a daily basis.

"I think he's committed to doing that, and we're very committed to doing that," Dombrowski said. "We'll have a very thorough program to address a lot of different issues between now and next spring training."

Alvarez, a personal trainer for retired outfielder Bobby Abreu for many years, couldn't be reached for comment. Michael Sandoval, who had been so close to his brother that he assisted in the negotiation of his contract with the Red Sox, said he hasn't spoken to Pablo since August.

Pablo Sandoval switched agents last winter, when he dumped Gustavo Vasquez in favor of Beverly Hills Sports Council. A spokesperson for BHSC said last week that Michael "is entitled to his opinion" about Alvarez.

ESPN's Christina Kahrl contributed to this report.