"After the Red Sox play their final game, whenever that may be, Kevin Youkilis will have to undergo surgery to relieve him of the sports hernia that has bothered him for most of the season.

Until then, he intends to keep playing.

"The bottom line for me is going out there and playing through it," Youkilis said today. "There's a lot of guys banged up here. I'm not the only individual here. In September, there are always a lot of guys hurting and feeling stuff."

But Youkilis is banged up more than most."