BOSTON _ Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will have surgery this week on his back to repair a herniated disk.

The veteran knuckleballer was kept off the ALDS roster due to the pain and discomfort in his back and left leg. He suffered the injury late in June and it got worse during the All-Star break. After posting an 11-3 record in the first half of the season, Wakefield was limited to only four starts in the second half, posting an 0-2 record with a 6.00 ERA.

In the corner of the quiet Red Sox clubhouse Sunday afternoon, Wakefield put on his street clothes and walked out of the room disappointed like all of his teammates.

"Yeah, it's very disappointing," he said. "You don't expect that to happen, but it did. It's probably double demoralizing because you expect to get the win and go onto Game Four. It just didn't happen, unfortunately. It's going to take time [to get over]. Everyone is numb right now because of what happened and how it unfolded. You just have to try to get over it, move on and get ready for next year."

Wakefield hopes this surgery will help and he'll be able to return for his 16th year in a Red Sox uniform.

--JOE McDONALD