Washington, DC – The San Francisco Giants revealed on Thursday that infielder Freddy Sanchez will be lost for the remainder of the season, and perhaps for the rest of his career, following back surgery.
The procedure, called a microdiscectomy, was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Robert Watkins, to remove a disc fragment in his lower back.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the surgery was a last-ditch effort on the part of Sanchez to return from a dislocated shoulder suffered last June against Cincinnati which has kept him away from baseball since.
In 60 games last season, the 34-year-old southern California native hit .289 with three homers, 15 doubles and 24 RBI.
A key member of the Giants' 2010 World Series club, Sanchez is set to become a free agent following the completion of the current campaign.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.