"Free agent Carlos Delgado had hip surgery on Wednesday and will miss at least four months, his agent, David Sloane, told The Post.

Delgado, 37, had been working out recently in an attempt to sign with a major league team, but felt continuing discomfort in his right hip, which was operated upon last May when he was still with the Mets. Frustrated, he decided to seek the opinion of Dr. Marc Phillipon, who did Alex Rodriguez's hip surgery last year.

It was determined that Delgado needed surgery to reconstruct the labrum in his hip. The procedure was done by Phillipon at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo. Delgado already is riding a stationary bicycle and plans to stay in Vail for about two months before completing his rehabilitation at home in Puerto Rico.

"The prognosis is that Carlos Delgado will be the Carlos Delgado of old in four months rather than an old Carlos Delgado," Sloane said."