Brewers' Braun to undergo offseason back surgery

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is set to go under the knife at the conclusion of the season.

The six-time All-Star said Monday he'll need to undergo back surgery, though he declined to specify the nature of either the procedure or the issue it'll aim to correct.

"I've known that for a couple of months," Braun told reporters. "If it were to get worse, it would prolong the recovery time, so that's what we're trying to avoid. It's kind of a fine line that we're walking there."

Braun has been bothered by tightness in his lower back over the past month, keeping him out of the lineup for a handful of games.

"He still wants to play, but we're going to make sure that if and when he does play, he's ready to play," manager Craig Counsell said. "He's got a back issue. Right now at this point it's manageable, but we don't want it to get worse.

"When we feel like he's able to play and not have a big risk of making it worse, then he'll play. If we don't get to that point, then he's not going to be able to play."

Newly hired general manager David Stearns told MLB Network on Tuesday that although Braun's injury is "concerning," the outfielder should be ready to go in spring training.

The 31-year-old is in the midst of his best season in three years, hitting .287/.359/.503 with 25 home runs, 27 doubles, and 84 RBIs across 138 games.