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Indians DH Hafner to undergo shoulder surgery

Mon 13th, October 2008

Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday on his right shoulder, which hampered him for the entire 2008 season.

The decision was made after Hafner visited with Dr. James Andrews in Alabama on Monday, and his shoulder condition had not improved. Hafner's shoulder began to bother him in Spring Training, which prompted a May trip to the disabled list.

Hafner went through a rehab assignment in August, at which point his shoulder strength was at 75 percent, and returned to the Indians in September. But an end-of-season physical revealed his shoulder strength was worse -- 70 percent.

In 57 games this past season, Hafner recorded career lows in average (.197), slugging percentage (.323), in addition to five homers and 24 RBI.

The goal of the surgery, which Andrews will perform, is to both clean out the shoulder area and investigate for any sources of Hafner's ailment.

Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said past MRI exams and other tests did not show the need for reconstruction or repair, but added the arthroscopic procedure could change that.