Yahoo Finance Nationals' Jon Lester to have thyroid gland removed after spring training fatigue
Jon Lester's tenure with the Washington Nationals is beginning with some major surgery.
The former Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox ace will undergo surgery to remove his thyroid gland, Nationals manager Dave Martinez revealed Wednesday via the Washington Post's Jesse Dougherty. Martinez reportedly said Lester had felt fatigued during spring training workouts.
The procedure is reportedly scheduled for Friday, and Martinez indicated that he could return five to seven days later.
From the Post:
“If everything goes well, he’ll be back, hopefully he can pitch again in about a week,” Martinez said on a video call with reporters Wednesday. “We want him to get it taken care of now, so it’s not an issue.”
He continued: “We’ve known he’s had it. We were waiting for some other results to come through. Talked to the doctor [Tuesday], and he wants to go ahead and have it removed, which we all agree was a good thing for him. He’ll feel better with that gone. And then we’ll go from there.”
News of Lester requiring such a procedure carries special concern given that the 37-year-old was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma back in 2006 during his rookie season with the Red Sox. Lester underwent chemotherapy in the following offseason, and eventually returned to the majors midway through the 2007 season.
Lester is set to begin his first season in Washington after signing a one-year, $5 million deal with the team this offseason. He's coming off a pair of rough seasons with the Cubs, totaling a 4.64 ERA in 232.2 total innings.
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