When Mike Napoli announced he was having surgery following the 2014 season, Boston Red Sox fans cringed, fearing the unknown.
The 33-year-old underwent a procedure to combat his sleep apnea and by all accounts, it was a real deal facial reconstruction surgery.
“I’ve been dealing with sleep apnea for a long time, my whole career,” Napoli told WEEI.com back in October. “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.”
The procedure, called bi-maxillary advancement surgery, involved doctors separating the front portions of the upper and lower jaws and moving them forward…allowing for more room behind the tongue and, therefore, reducing the chances of the airway being obstructed.
But if you’re worried about Napoli, the 2012 All-Star has one word of advice. Don’t.
“It’s been going good. I’m getting a lot of sleep. I’m energized, it’s been good,” Napoli told reporters Monday morning. “It’s been night and day. When I wake up and when I get out of bed and get my day started. Before I’d lay in bed until like one o’clock. It’s totally different.”
The first baseman was a favorite of the Red Sox 2013 World Series team after hitting .259 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs. 2014 wasn’t as kind, with injuries limiting Napoli to a .248 batting average, 17 home runs and 55 RBIs.
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