MILWAUKEE - Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo confirmed today that he'll have surgery on the torn ligament in his right knee, likely ending his season.

Gallardo says he believes there's no chance he could avoid the operation on his anterior cruciate ligament, and that it would occur sometime next week.

General manager Doug Melvin says Gallardo may be seen by a specialist for another opinion, and that would determine what day Gallardo would have surgery.

The 22-year-old right-hander was expected to play a prominent role as the second starter after he went 9-5 with a 3.67 ERA after his midseason call-up last year.

Gallardo, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee just before spring training, made three starts before being injured while trying to hurdle a baserunner against the Chicago Cubs on May 1st.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)