Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish to undergo neck surgery

Ryan Kalish went under the knife this past spring in order to fix his ailing shoulder, and set himself up for a season of rest and rehabilitation that put him in line to rejoin the Red Sox in 2014. That is now possibly in jeopardy, however, as Kalish is reportedly set to undergo neck surgery on Tuesday, according to WEEI's Alex Speier.

Speier reports that Kalish should be ready for spring training in 2014 as originally planned, despite the procedure that will fuse vertebrae in Kalish's neck together. What's changed is that Kalish and his body will no longer have a regular off-season with which to prepare, as he is now -- again -- recovering from a major surgery.

Even worse, the pain in his neck came at the point where he was finally ready for full baseball activities. While Kalish considered retiring due to injuries in the past, Speier's sources tell him that this setback hasn't changed his mind about a return to the game. That's comforting, but it's hard to count on him for anything until he actually shows up and is able to play.

That's not a criticism of Kalish -- it's just the situation at this point. He's a talented outfielder, and he'll only be 26 years old next year -- it would be a shame if he isn't able to come back and play the game that he has so much ability to play. With any luck -- and Kalish is certainly due for some -- there won't be a setback, and this will finally fix the issues that have plagued him since 2011.

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