Long underwent surgery in mid-October to address a stress fracture in his right leg, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
The 26-year-old was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, and his agent, Nate Heisler, detailed the injury in the wake of the move. Long played through a stress fracture in both of the last two seasons, which may partially explain his .184/.250/.325 slash line in 68 games over that stretch. A similar surgery last offseason didn't wind up leading to the desired result on the field, but he'll hope for better luck this time around. He expects to be ready for spring training but will likely be suiting up for a new team, as he'll become a free agent after the World Series.