Texas Rangers' Fielder facing season-ending surgery

Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder is scheduled for season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck, the Major League Baseball team said. Fielder, who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in the offseason in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler, will obtain a second doctor's opinion later this week, but Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Thursday he was tentatively scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday. The 2007 National League home run champion has not played since May 16 due to the injury. Fielder recently had an injection in his neck in an attempt to alleviate the pain, which proved unsuccessful. Fielder had played in 547 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the major leagues at the time, prior to sitting out last Saturday against Toronto. The veteran slugger's first season in Texas ends with a .247 average and just three home runs and 16 runs batted in 42 games. Fielder had knocked in 100 runs or more in six of the previous seven seasons. Source: AFP