Mike Napoli was plagued by trips to the disabled list in 2014, dealing with injuries to his finger, toe, knee, and back and playing just 119 games. Thus, it’s no shock that he’s planning on undergoing surgery in the coming weeks. What is a shock, however, is that his surgery will be with the intent of repairing none of the mentioned injuries but rather to cure a case of sleep apnea which has bothered the 32 year old for years.
Sleep apnea is a condition which causes obstruction of a person’s airway during sleep. In layman’s terms, Napoli’s surgery, which is called a bimaxillary advancement surgery, slightly parts the upper and lower jaw, which allows for less obstruction and improves comfort in sleep.
Napoli has been dealing with sleep apnea since breaking into the Major Leagues and has decided that enough is enough.
"“I’ve been dealing withsleepapnea for a long time, my whole career,” Napoli told WEEI.com in a text message. “I’ve tried numerous things and none of them worked. Dental mouth piece, CPAP machine, medicines … It’s just gotten to the point where I have to get this done.”"
Hopefully Napoli’s surgery, which is scheduled for November 4, will go well and allow him to focus on baseball rather than his sleep troubles. After all, Napoli, who slashed .248/.370/.419 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs this season, projects to be one of the key offensive contributors in John Farrell‘s Red Sox lineup next season. In addition, next season is Napoli’s contract year, which could provide some extra motivation to return to the form that made him a strong cleanup hitter for the best lineup in baseball just a year ago.