Surgery set for Indians' Hafner

Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner will undergo arthroscopic surgery Tuesday on the strained right shoulder that kept him on the disabled list for more than three months.

Noted orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews examined Hafner in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday and will perform the surgery.

Andrews will clean out the shoulder and investigate why it's causing pain, Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff said. Soloff didn't indicate how long Hafner will be out and said he would know more Tuesday about what the procedure will involve.

There were no tests or images that indicated the shoulder needed to be repaired or reconstructed, Soloff said.

Hafner returned from the disabled list in September, but was restricted from playing more than two days in a row. An exam at the end of the season indicated his shoulder strength declined from 75 per cent to 70 per cent.

"We want Travis to be unrestricted with regards to baseball activities in spring training and the beginning of the season next year," Soloff said.

At the time Hafner went on the DL in May, he was batting just .217 with four homers. Tests showed the left-handed power hitter had lost nearly all the strength in his shoulder.

Hafner, nicknamed "Pronk," hit .197 in 57 games last season with five homers and 24 runs batted in for the Indians.

He entered the 2008 season with a .290 career average and averaged 32 homers and 108 RBI in the previous four seasons.