Cleveland Indians News: Grady Sizemore out 8-12 Weeks for Back Surgery

According to The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Grady Sizemore will miss eight to 12 weeks after having back surgery on Thursday.

The procedure Sizemore had done is called a microdiscectomy and is not as invasive as an open back surgery. This procedure is done when a disc in the spine becomes herniated.

Herniated discs put pressure on nerves in the spine, causing pain and sometimes numbness in the legs.

Once the disc that is causing the problem is removed, symptoms the patient had before the surgery usually have gone away. After surgery, the patient can do very light activities such as walking.

Once the surgeon gives the OK, the patient can begin working with a physical therapist to rehab the back.

Sizemore has a history of being injured, and this will be the second year in a row where he will not be on the field for Opening Day.

Any form of back surgery is serious.

Fans in Cleveland must be wondering if the club should have just let Sizemore go and not re-sign him. Sizemore, when healthy, is one of the better players in baseball, and when he plays, the Indians are a better team.

Sizemore needs to put his body first and take his time recovering and rehabbing. If he does not, he will likely injure his back further and miss more playing time this season.

Louie Babcock has over five years experience working in emergency medicine, and is studying medicine at the University of Minnesota.

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