ATLANTA -- Nick Markakis has been dealing with a herniated disc in his neck the past two seasons. Any stiffness, he told reporters Friday when he was introduced as the Atlanta Braves' new right fielder, has been sporadic.
But on the heels of his agreeing to a four-year, $44 million contract, he indicated undergoing surgery is a possibility.
"Everything I hear from it it's not going to be an issue," he said. "I don't have anything now, it's just a precautionary thing and we'll get that taken care of and it shouldn't be a problem."
The procedure, which would require up to three months of recovery time, would allow him to be ready for Opening Day.
As FOX Sports MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal reports, the Braves had viewed a report from a specialist who did an independent study on Markakis and were confident the 31-year-old wouldn't miss any playing time.
In nine seasons with the Orioles, Markakis hit 290/.358/.435 with 141 home runs in 1,365 games and won two Gold Gloves, including one in 2014.
He's coming off of a season in which he hit 276/.342/.386 with 14 homers, and despite any neck issues, played in 155 games.
But in the two seasons in which he's felt the discomfort, his slugging percentage his suffered. He went from having seven seasons of .406 or better, including .491 in 2008, to .356 in '13 and a career-low .386 this past season.
