Shira Springer of the Boston Globe reports: Tony's Battie's sore right knee has flared up again. However, he said that any surgery would most likely happen after Boston's season is over.

Battie, who has missed the last 4 games and 14 overall this season with the injury, believes that when the swelling goes down, he will be ok.

''This is the third episode so the doctors have commented on a look at surgery, but they don't know,'' said Battie. ''But at least some exploratory surgery just to see what exactly is going on. It's not written in stone that we're going to go in and fix X and Z. That has come up as an option, as an alternative.

''But like I've said, if it's up to me, some type of rehab or something like that can get me through the problem. But if not, I've got to listen to the doctors and take other measurements.''