NEW YORK — Six-time All-Star catcher Buster Posey, slowed this season by hip issues that caused him to miss the All-Star Game, faces likely hip surgery that would cut short his season.

“I’d say that that’s a safe assumption,” said Brian Sabean, executive vice president of baseball operations.

Manager Bruce Bochy, while suggesting nothing had been determined, said a surgery would involve the labrum and cleaning out bone spurs. A decision would be made “really soon.”

“Obviously, if something’s done sooner,” Bochy said, “you’ll have more time to make sure he’s fully healed as you go into the next year.”

The Chronicle reported the likelihood of the surgery during Tuesday night’s 6-3 loss to the Mets, and Posey said afterward he knew before the All-Star break he was facing surgery.

“Talking with doctors,” Posey said, “the goal would be to be ready Day 1, on the opener” in 2019.

Posey, 31, is not driving the ball as in the past and is unable to fully utilize his lower half because of the hip problems. He felt soreness in the area during the three-city trip beginning in Houston in late May, and it continued to linger, bothering him both hitting and catching.

Instead of participating in the All-Star Game on July 17 in Washington, Posey remained in the Bay Area during the break to have a cortisone shot and receive treatment.

Disappointing year Buster Posey’s production in 2018 has not approached that of his career-best season, 2012. BA HR RBI SLG 2018 .286 4 40 .386 2012 .336 24 103 .549

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“It’s something that obviously bugs me still, which I deal with,” said Posey, who was not in Tuesday’s lineup because he caught all 13 innings Monday. He’s expected to start Wednesday’s game. “It’s better some days than others. Some days, it’s cranky. Thirteen innings isn’t the best for it.”

Bochy said Posey’s continuing to play wouldn’t create further damage.

Posey is batting .286 with five home runs and 40 RBIs. His .386 slugging percentage is significantly lower than any of his other full seasons. In 92 at-bats since the All-Star break, he has hit .283 with a .315 slugging percentage, with no homers and nine RBIs.

“You know me pretty well,” Posey told a reporter, “and I don’t want to make any excuses for anything. It’s been something I’ve kind of pushed through and played through.”

Sabean said the Giants’ place in the standings wouldn’t determine the timing of a surgery. The Giants are 8½ games out of first place and 7½ back in the wild-card race.

“That’s not going to be the overriding factor,” Sabean said. “His well-being present and future, more so future, is in our best interests,” Sabean said. “He’s our franchise player. It’s not going to make any difference where we are in the standings because it’s been debilitating for him to this point.”

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury recently underwent arthroscopic hip surgeries. Seager, who had undergone Tommy John surgery in May, had a procedure on his left hip Aug. 7. He’s expected to be at full strength for the start of spring training.

Ellsbury’s operation, on Aug. 6, was to repair a torn labrum, and he’s expected to need six months to recover, which could allow him to be ready for the season.

Both surgeries were performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York.

“He’s been battling this all year,” Bochy said of Posey. “He’s been a warrior through this, dealing with it, and sometimes it gets to the point you have to do something about it, and that’s what we’re talking about now. There is a rehab with this thing. It’s going to take a little while, so we want to make sure we get him right.”

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey