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Third baseman Joe Crede is scheduled to undergo back surgery Tuesday and will be out indefinitely, further souring the mood of a White Sox team that is last in the majors in runs scored and nine games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland.Doctors had given Crede, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list last Wednesday because of lower back inflammation, with two options: surgery or an epidural. The type of procedure to be performed on Crede on Tuesday was not known Monday.
The surgery will be performed by Dr. Robert Watkins, the White Sox announced Monday. According to MLB.com, athletic trainer Herm Schneider informed manager Ozzie Guillen of the news during the course of Chicago's interleague series opener in Philadelphia.
The 29-year-old Crede has a history of back problems, and it's been a nagging issue all season. After deciding not to have offseason surgery to repair two herniated discs, he is hitting .216 with four homers and 22 RBIs -- a steep drop from last year when he batted .283 with 30 homers and 94 RBIs.
"It's more nerve than it is a muscular problem," Crede said on June 6. "We want to control the inflammation that is pressing up against the nerves and causing the pain shooting down the legs."
Josh Fields, who was recalled last week from Triple-A Charlotte to replace Crede, will continue as Chicago's starting third baseman in Crede's absence.
"It's an unfortunate deal," Fields said of Crede's impending surgery. "Hopefully, it will end up curing Joe's problems with his back. It's a tough deal, but hopefully everything goes well and he turns out all right.
"I really can't even get excited. I don't know how to take it right now."
Fields is batting .143 with no extra-base hits in 21 at-bats since his promotion.
"For me, it will be a positive to get more at-bats," Fields told reporters in Philadelphia. "But just like a lot of younger guys, I need to get my hitting back to where it was when I was in [Triple-A] Charlotte. They can want to get me as many at-bats as they can. But I imagine, if I don't get a couple of hits every now and then, I'm sure there are other people they can try out there at third."

ESPN - As White Sox fade, Crede to have back surgery - MLB