DETROIT -- First baseman Prince Fielder is not with the Rangers in Detroit, and he may not be with the team the rest of the year.Fielder, who has a herniated disk in his neck, is back in Texas and was examined by Dr. Drew Dossett. In a Thursday afternon conference call, GM Jon Daniels announced that Fielder is scheduled for season-ending surgery next Tuesday. They will seek one final opinion before proceeding with the procedure, but surgery appears to be a near certainty. 
He has missed five games because of the problem, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that there is a possibility Fielder could elect to have surgery that will likely sideline him for the remainder of the season.Fielder has been bothered by pain and stiffness in the neck for some time, but he only told the Rangers last month. He was initially given oral medication, but that did not fix the problem. Fielder had an injection last Friday that the Rangers hoped would be the solution.General manager Jon Daniels, when publicly addressing the issue for the first time, said that surgery was not being considered, but he admitted that it was a possibility at some point if other remedies were not successful.Fielder tried to return to the lineup on Tuesday, but was scratched after feeling significant weakness in his left side. He also didn't play on Wednesday and went back to see Dossett on Thursday.The Rangers originally said Fielder could rejoin the team at some point in Detroit, but that may not happen."It's a situation where there wasn't anything he could do about it," manager Ron Washington said. "If he could, he would be here."T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
He has missed five games because of the problem, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that there is a possibility Fielder could elect to have surgery that will likely sideline him for the remainder of the season.Fielder has been bothered by pain and stiffness in the neck for some time, but he only told the Rangers last month. He was initially given oral medication, but that did not fix the problem. Fielder had an injection last Friday that the Rangers hoped would be the solution.General manager Jon Daniels, when publicly addressing the issue for the first time, said that surgery was not being considered, but he admitted that it was a possibility at some point if other remedies were not successful.Fielder tried to return to the lineup on Tuesday, but was scratched after feeling significant weakness in his left side. He also didn't play on Wednesday and went back to see Dossett on Thursday.The Rangers originally said Fielder could rejoin the team at some point in Detroit, but that may not happen."It's a situation where there wasn't anything he could do about it," manager Ron Washington said. "If he could, he would be here."T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
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