Brewers hitting coach Al LeBoeuf is away from the team after having prostate surgery

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Al LeBoeuf is away from the team after having prostate surgery.

The Brewers said Tuesday that LeBoeuf is expected to rejoin the team without providing a specific timetable. He had the operation on Monday.

LeBoeuf (leh-BUFF) is coaching in the majors for the first time this year. The Brewers named him lead hitting coach last October after he’d worked as a hitting coach in Triple-A for the last six seasons.

“Everybody who knows him loves him,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s a guy who, you can see he’s a baseball lifer and he’s passionate about his information. We’ve really enjoyed having him and look forward to him getting back as soon as possible.”

Murphy said the Brewers wouldn’t bring a coach up from the minors to help out while LeBoeuf is away. The Brewers have three hitting coaches on staff: LeBoeuf, Connor Dawson and Eric Theisen.

LeBoeuf, 65, is in his 16th season in the Brewers organization. Plenty of Brewers hitters have long ties with him that began as they worked their way through the minors.

“Every time I get in the cage, he’s in there with me,” outfielder Sal Frelick said. “I haven’t taken BP, haven’t taken a swing without him standing next to me. It’s been awesome. He’s so knowledgeable as someone who’s been around the game so long that anytime you’re around him, you just want to learn. To have him and to be able to be fortunate enough to work with him every day is truly a blessing.”

Frelick indicated the Brewers got good news regarding LeBoeuf’s operation.

“Now that we found out everything went smoothly and good, I think we’re all feeling better,” Frelick said. “You could tell the past week he’d kind of been on edge about it. He was super vocal with us about it. We all said our prayers and we’re just super happy everything went smoothly.”

LeBoeuf was diagnosed in July 12 with a form of blood cancer in his right hip, though he was declared cancer-free the following year. The condition was traced to when he was hit on the hip by a pitch while playing for Triple-A Portland in 1985, resulting in a deep bone bruise.