Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland had brain surgery Friday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said via a team release that the operation was deemed a success, adding that Westmoreland "is doing well in recovery."

He previously had undergone life-threatening surgery in March 2010 to remove a cavernous malformation on his brain stem, and Friday's procedure came as a result of a complication from the malformation.

The first surgery created neurological deficits and affected his 6-foot-2, 220-pound body. He had to relearn simple, everyday tasks. His family and doctors were more concerned with his quality of life than a potential return to baseball, but Westmoreland progressed to the point where he was able to face live pitching in December 2011 in the Dominican Republic.

The Red Sox picked Westmoreland in the fifth round (172nd overall) in the 2008 draft. The Portsmouth, R.I., native played well during his only season in the minors with the Class A Lowell Spinners in 2009, batting .296 with a .401 on-base percentage and .484 slugging percentage before a broken collarbone ended his season after 60 games. Nonetheless, he widely was considered the Red Sox's top positional prospect entering 2010.

Information from ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald contributed to this report.