Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos won’t be slowed by hip check

Peter Bourjos said his bothersome right hip feels “good, normal, 100%,” but the speedy Angels center fielder acknowledged he will probably undergo surgery after the season to repair some fraying of the labrum in the joint.

He would have had the procedure this winter, but he did not undergo an MRI test, which also showed a bone bruise in the hip, until the week before Thanksgiving.

With the operation requiring a six- to 12-week recovery, “it would have cut it too close to be ready by spring training,” said Bourjos, who joined the Angels for their first full-squad workout Monday in Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Bourjos, 24, has dealt with this hip issue for four or five years, but it hasn’t affected his play. He had a break-out 2011 season, hitting .271 with 12 home runs, 11 triples, 26 doubles, 43 runs batted in, 72 runs and 22 stolen bases and played superb defense in center field.

“As long as I keep it strong and loose, it should be all right,” said Bourjos, who underwent physical therapy in Arizona all winter. “Once I get going, it’s fine. It’s usually after games that it’s sore. That’s why I soak in an ice bath.”

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