ATLANTA -- Wanting to be at full strength as he prepares for his final audition before possibly hitting the free-agent market, Mark Teixeira opted to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.

The procedure was performed on his left knee in late November by noted surgeon Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo. The Braves are confident that their switch-hitting first baseman will be healthy when Spring Training begins.

"He was told he should be back to 100 percent in six weeks," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "It shouldn't impact him at all. That's why he chose to get it done."

If this timetable holds true, Teixeira should be able to begin baseball-related exercises in the middle portion of January. The Braves' first full-squad workout at Spring Training is scheduled for Feb. 20.

"Three weeks ago I had a minor procedure on my left knee to clean out loose tissue," Teixeira said. "Although I didn't miss any time because of the knee last season, I underwent the procedure to avoid any problems in the future. I will be back to 100 percent in a few weeks and look forward to a healthy, productive 2008 season."

Teixeira felt some discomfort in his left knee during Spring Training last season and continued to battle some soreness in the regular season's early weeks. Doctors found a loose body in his knee, but the ailment didn't cause him to miss any extended time. At the end of the season, he was given the option to have this surgery.

Teixeira spent nearly a month on the disabled list after straining his left quadriceps muscle on June 8. After being activated on July 13, he hit .309 with 18 homers and a .570 slugging percentage.

In the 54 games he played after being traded by the Rangers to the Braves on July 31, Teixeira hit .317 with 17 homers, 56 RBIs and a .615 slugging percentage. The knee didn't hinder the production of the slugger, who has hit at least 30 homers each of the past four seasons.

While the Braves are interested in keeping Teixeira past the upcoming season, they know they'll be battling a number of other teams for his services. The Gold Glove first baseman is expected to be one of the most coveted players on next year's free-agent market.