Braves right fielder Nick Markakis had fusion surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck Wednesday in Atlanta, a scheduled procedure that doctors termed a success.
Markakis, who signed a four-year, $44 million contract on Dec. 3, is expected to be cleared for baseball activities after eight weeks of rest and rehab. The Braves’ first full-squad spring training workout is in 10 weeks (Feb. 26).
He was first diagnosed with the herniation in March 2013, and Markakis nevertheless played in 160 of the Orioles’ 162 games in 2013 and 155 games in 2014, when he won his second Gold Glove award. The Woodstock High School graduate turned 31 in November.
