(UPDATED) WASHINGTON — As expected, a Mets official confirmed this afternoon that struggling reliever J.J. Putz will have surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow and miss at least two months. The team confirmed Putz’s decision after the former All-Star closer had his ailing elbow examined by team doctors this morning in New York.

Putz, who has been bothered by the bone spur in his elbow since last summer, when he was still with the Mariners, is expected to have the surgery immediately.

Putz finally admitted he was limited by pain in the elbow Thursday in Pittsburgh after he allowed two runs on three hits in just one inning of work in the Mets’ 11-6 loss to the Pirates.

That outing came less than a day after Jerry Manuel had yanked Putz’s eighth-inning set up role due to poor performance and given it to impressive rookie right-hander Bobby Parnell.

Putz allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks in his final three appearances, a stint that covered just 1 1/3 innings.

5:30 P.M.: The Mets said Putz will have surgery next Tuesday in New York and isn’t expected back to the major-league level for at least 10 weeks.