Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli to have surgery for sleep apnea
Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli will have facial surgery next month in hopes of resolving sleep apnea.
According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause hypertension, stroke, or heart failure.
Napoli says that surgery will be performed Nov. 4. The procedure is called bimaxillary advancement surgery, and it separates and moves the upper and lower jaw forward, allowing for more room behind the tongue, making the obstruction less likely.
“I’ve been dealing with sleep apnea for a long time, my whole career,” Napoli wrote in a text message to WEEI.com. “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.”
Napoli, 32, hit .248 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs in 119 games for Boston this season. He also dealt with numerous injuries to his back, toe and finger.
He spent his first five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and the next two with the Texas Rangers. He signed a three-year, $39 million deal with Boston before the 2013 season and is a career .257 hitter, with 186 home runs and 527 RBI in nine MLB seasons.
- Scooby Axson
