According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland A’s third-baseman Eric Chavez was scheduled to have an epidural in his back due to increasing stiffness. He has had surgery on his back, so this serves as somewhat of a set-back for the slugger. He is expected to be out “at least 4 or 5 days” as a result, and he could feel the effects even longer than that.

Chavez has struggled the last two seasons in Oakland. Once a very consistent and dangerous threat with the bat, Chavez has not hit over .241 in the last two years. His power numbers are on the decline (22 in 2006, and just 15 in 2007). He played in only 90 games last year, and the fact that he’s already having health issues early on in spring training does not bode well for his 2008 season.

Filed under: Oakland Athletics