Former Cub and current Nationals starting pitcher Jon Lester will undergo a procedure to remove his thyroid gland, manager Davey Martinez told Washington reporters Wednesday.
Lester, 37, will leave Nationals spring training and fly to New York for the procedure.
“Hopefully he can pitch again in about a week,” Martinez said. “We want him to get it taken care of now so it’s not an issue.”
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Martinez said the Nationals have known of Lester’s condition and have been waiting for test results to come back. After speaking with a doctor, Lester decided to undergo the procedure.
The left-hander, who signed a one-year deal with Washington this offseason after six seasons with the Cubs, said he’s “felt kind of tired,” according to Martinez.
“They feel like once they get this out, he’ll have a lot more energy throughout the day,” Martinez said. “I hope it works out for him. I really do. He’s a big part of what we do here, and we love having him.”
Said Cubs manager David Ross, Lester's close friend: “All the best to Jon. We’ll say a prayer for him. He’s not worried, so that makes me not worried.”
MLB
Martinez added as of right now, the Nationals are planning for Lester to be with the club come Opening Day.
“I definitely believe in talking to him that it’s something that for his mind’s sake that we needed to take care of right away,” Martinez said. “I think he’s upbeat about it — I know he’s upbeat about it. As soon as we can take care of that, all he wants to do is come back and help us win and get back on the mound. So we’re all for it.”