Rhode Island native Ryan Westmoreland, the top prospect in the Red Sox system, has left spring training and will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair what the team says is a 'cavernous malformation in his brain.'

"The entire Red Sox organization stands in support of Ryan as he courageously deals with this issue," general manager Theo Epstein said. "Ryan is a remarkable kid and a talented player, and we understand that many will be concerned about his health. He is getting the best medical attention the world has to offer, and we will have more information soon," Epstein said, before requesting that media not contact the family, and stating that there will be no further comments from the team for the moment.

Westmoreland, 19, left camp on Thursday March 4. He was diagnosed on Friday at Mass General Hospital, and Tuesday, he will have surgery conducted by Dr. Robert Spetzler of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ.

According to WebMD.com, cavernous malformations are ''dilated blood vessels that are characterized by multiple distended 'caverns' of blood that flow very slowly." If they bleed, they can lead to headaches, blurred vision, impaired motor function, and potentially seizures.

Malformations are non-cancerous growths. If a malformation can be completely removed, then patients often suffer no further problems. If a small piece is left, then the malformation can often grow back.

Westmoreland, 19, has dealt with health problems since he was drafted in 2008. He missed much of the last two seasons with injuries, first undergoing offseason shoulder surgery before the 2009 season, and then dealing with a broken collarbone suffered running into a wall last summer.

The former Portsmouth High star came to camp in excellent shape, muscular and clearing filling out his young frame. He missed a few days to have his wisdom teeth removed, but appeared to finally be healthy and ready to fulfill his considerable potential until this issue struck.