Mike Napoli hit a bit of a wall.
Napoli was scratched from the Boston Red Sox’s lineup for Friday’s spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at JetBlue Park. The first baseman is dealing with a sore right ankle, though he was quick to downplay the issue Friday morning.
“Nothing serious,” Napoli told reporters in Fort Myers, Fla. “I’ve been getting after it pretty much in camp and just got a little right ankle soreness. I was able to hit (Friday). I’m going to be able to hit the next couple of days, but I’m just going to let it be, rest up and then get back out.”
Napoli has had an eventful few months. The slugger dealt with a myriad of injuries last season and then underwent a serious procedure over the offseason to combat his longstanding bout with sleep apnea.
Napoli has performed well this spring, hitting .381 with two homers, three RBIs and a 1.101 OPS in nine Grapefruit League games. The 33-year-old has been attempting to cram in as much as possible, though, and it finally started impacting him from a physical standpoint.
“Everything is good, but to keep on trying to play through it right now is probably not the smartest thing to do,” Napoli told reporters. “I feel good. I’ll let it calm down and get back there.”
Napoli is entering the second year of a two-year, $32 million contract he signed with Boston last offseason.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
