Harvin announces his ‘minor’ surgery

Vikings receiver Percy Harvin was set to have “minor” surgery on Saturday, he tweeted.

Vikings receiver Percy Harvin was having “minor” surgery on Saturday, he announced via Twitter.

The surgery is believed to be on his left ankle, which was injured on Nov. 4.

“Having minor surgery later today, keep me in your prayers please!” Harvin tweeted late Saturday afternoon.

The Vikings were keeping their fingers crossed that surgery wasn’t needed, head coach Leslie Frazier said the day after the team placed him on season-ending injured reserve.

“He made some progress at times, but it was incremental … not the progress we needed to see along the way, so we’ve got to step back a little bit and try to do the things that are necessary for him and best for us and let him concentrate on getting well,” Frazier said then. “He’s such a valuable commodity. You don’t want to do anything that’s going to create some long-term ill effects.”

Harvin also issued a statement at that time.

“It certainly is disappointing that I was not able to finish out this season with my teammates,” Harvin said in the statement. “As a competitor I definitely wanted to get back out on the field, but my injury has just not allowed me to progress to the point where I can help our team.

“I appreciate the efforts of our medical staff and the support of our fans in helping me through this process and look forward to coming back stronger and better than ever.”

Despite being out for more than month, Harvin is still easily the Vikings’ top receiver with 62 catches for 677 yards and three touchdowns. He was also their top kickoff returner, averaging 35.9 yards on 16 returns, including one touchdown. Before his injury, teammates were promoting him as a possible league MVP candidate.

“Percy is the best player in the NFL right now. I’d like to see anybody challenge that with the way he’s carrying the football and the way he’s really driving our team along,” linebacker Chad Greenway said after three games this season, when Harvin led the league in receiving. “You’re asking him to do a lot of things and he’s doing them all really well. He has not complained. He hasn’t said a peep. He just goes to work. He practices hard every day. He’s phenomenal.”

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