Detroit Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks faces back surgery that likely will leave him sidelined for three months.
The 28-year-old Dirks, who was expeted to platoon in left field this season with Rajai Davis, will undergo surgery on Monday, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said
Dirks has battled a back problem since high school, but it bothered him enough in recent days that the team sent him to a specialist and it was determined on Tuesday after testing that surgery was needed.
In 131 games last season, Dirks batted .256 with nine home runs in 131 games. Dirks is a career .278 hitter who had a .322 average in 2012.