Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez sits out practice because of neck issue

Reporting from Phoenix —  Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez missed Sunday’s workout because a chronic neck condition he has dealt with the last five years has flared up. Gonzalez aggravated his neck condition during a base-running drill on Saturday.

During the winter, Gonzalez visited with doctors who confirmed he has a bulging disc on the right side of his neck.

“It’s basically pain management,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve got to stay away from things that irritate it. I wasn’t smart yesterday. During a normal base-running drill, I did something to irritate it.”

Gonzalez said the condition cannot be surgically corrected. The doctors told him any procedure would be “too risky.”

“My last year in San Diego is when I started having chronic neck issues,” Gonzalez said. “And I’ve had it since.”

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