Placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, injured Indians slugger Travis Hafner was given an epidural to treat his bulging disc on Friday as reported by MLB.com's Jordan Bastian:
Travis Hafner (lower back) received epidural Friday. Also taking anti-inflammatories. Has bulging disc. Indians hopeful surgery not needed.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 10, 2012
While it's clear that the Indians don't want to go with the surgery route, the man they call 'Pronk' has hardly been able to stay on the field this season for manager Manny Acta. And with an unmistakably-poor .239 average on the that includes 44 strikeouts in just 60 games, Hafner has hardly been a productive member of the Indians' lineup even when he has actually been healthy enough to suit up.
With the Indians continuing to fall further and further out of contention, the team appears to be facing an interesting dilemma considering that Hafner's contract is set to expire after the season. Early indications are that Cleveland does not plan to re-up his deal, which, if true, would make it hard to believe the club would rush him back in favor of getting an extended look at some youngsters.
Stay with this StoryStream for more news on Hafner's injury. Be sure to check out Let's Go Tribe for more Indians coverage, and head over to Baseball Nation for more MLB analysis.