Dodgers SS Furcal to have back surgery

Jul 3, 2008 - 2:49 PM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal will undergo surgery to repair his strained lower back on Thursday and could miss the rest of the season.

Furcal, who has been out since May 6 with the back injury, had been close to returning to the Dodgers and went 1-for-3 on Monday in his first rehab start with Class AAA Las Vegas.

However, Furcal was forced to leave after just four innings and woke up Tuesday morning with lower back discomfort.

The procedure is called a microdiscectomy and will be performed by Dr. Robert Watkins. Dodgers manager Joe Torre expects the surgery to cure Furcal's injury permanently after rehabilitation failed.

"Just from all the numbers that I've heard, I think it's probably a minimum of eight weeks," Torre told the Los Angeles Times. "It's a blow. But it's reality.

"It's frustrating. And from what I understand, he's ready to just do this and get it done and basically get it over with."

Furcal, 30, posted a .366 batting average, five home runs and 16 RBI while scoring 34 runs in 32 games this season before suffering the injury.

In June, the Dodgers scored a major league-low 84 runs in 27 games in their first full month without the speedy shortstop.