LOS ANGELES, June 10 (UPI) -- Veteran Los Angeles Dodgers righthander Kevin Brown, who is already disabled with his second year of elbow woes, will undergo surgery Tuesday on his lower back. He will be sidelined indefinitely.
Manager Jim Tracy said Brown, 37, will have a microscopic laser procedure to trim a disk (L5-S1) protruding into the nerve endings in his lower back, causing pain to radiate down his right leg. Back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, a former associate of team Medical Director Dr. Frank Jobe, will perform the surgery at USC Medical Center.
The decision to operate was made Sunday. Tracy, who has had similar surgery, announced the decision before Monday's game against Tampa Bay.
The team has said Brown suffered the injury almost two weeks ago playing in his home with his son. He was hospitalized for four nights and treated with medication, but the relief was insufficient to avoid surgery.
"It just seemed like his back regressed as it went on," said General Manager Dan Evans.
Asked if he was concerned about Brown's physical viability to fulfill the three remaining years on his contract, Evans was hopeful.
"I've heard nothing to indicate from the doctors that his career is in jeopardy," he said.
But both he and Tracy repeatedly refused to speculate when or if Brown would return this season. Randy Johnson and David Wells have had similar in-season back operations (Wells in July 2001; Johnson in September 1996 by Watkins), but neither returned that season.
"We won't put a timetable on this. We won't even know until they get in there and do the surgery," said Tracy. "I want the man to get well. I spoke with him. He wants to be pain-free and this is necessary to be done to eliminate the pain."
Trainer Stan Johnston said doctors will assess during the surgery if nerve damage occurred.
"At this point, there's no concern of that," Johnston said.
Brown was expected to check into the hospital late Monday and likely will not be released until Wednesday.
On May 27, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a posterior medial sprain of his elbow, having previously spent a 15-day stint on the DL in April after tearing scar tissue associated with last year's season-ending surgery to repair a torn flexor muscle.
"I've had 200 some-odd games where I haven't had the luxury of a healthy Kevin Brown," Tracy said. "Other managers have had a healthy Kevin Brown. I have not. I know what he's like when he's healthy. Let's get him back."
Since signing a $105 million, seven-year contract prior to the 1999 season, Brown has been disabled six times. He is guaranteed to receive $15 million annually through the year 2005, when he will be 40. He is 2-3 with a 4.06 ERA this year, having missed four starts.
Omar Daal will continue to start in Brown's spot in the rotation. One of four starters acquired by Evans in the winter to beef up the staff with Brown and Andy Ashby coming off surgeries, Daal was Tracy's most valuable pitcher until getting whacked in his last two starts, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA.
Tracy put the most positive spin he could on the bad news.
"We don't make excuses here for doing good or bad," he said. "We know how good we are with him. We're pretty damn good without him. The team did a good job a year ago. It's another hurdle. We'll go over it. It's not an excuse."
Counting the two games in which Brown left early and the time he has spent on the disabled list this year, the Dodgers are 19-9, compared to 18-16 when he's been relatively healthy.
