Wakefield recovering after successful back surgery

Sports Network | October 22, 2009

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is expected to make a full recovery well before spring training begins after undergoing back surgery to repair a herniated disc and remove a loose fragment.

The 43-year-old dealt with a balky back for most of the second half of the season and missed nearly two months. The surgery was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital and Wakefield is able to begin his rehab immediately.

Boston will make a decision whether or not to exercise a team option for $4 million on the right-hander within five days of the end of the World Series. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said previously that Wakefield was in the team's plans for next season, but that he wanted to wait until after the surgery before making a decision.

Wakefield made 17 starts and won 11 games in the first half of 2009, earning an All-Star nod for the first time in his career, but his back limited him to just four starts the rest of the season.

Over those 21 starts, Wakefield compiled an 11-5 record and 4.58 earned run average with two complete games. He has 175 career victories for the Red Sox, and needs 17 wins to match Cy Young and Roger Clemens for the club record.