Washington Nationals manager David Martinez said on Wednesday that pitcher Jon Lester has left the team’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., to have his thyroid removed in New York City.
Martinez told reporters on a Zoom video conference, “If everything goes well, he’ll be back. Hopefully, he can pitch again in about a week. We wanted him to get it taken care of now so it’s not an issue.” Martinez said Lester, 37, felt fatigued during spring training. The team and Lester then reviewed medical test results and spoke to a doctor, who recommended surgery. Martinez said he expects Lester to be away from the team for at least five to seven days, at which point the team will reevaluate that timeline based on how the left-handed pitcher feels during his recovery.
The five-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion joined the Nationals in January as a free agent. Lester was scheduled to start for the Nationals against the New York Mets on Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Nationals still plan of having Lester ready for his first scheduled start of the season. he 15-year veteran had a 5.16 ERA and 3-3 record in 12 starts last season for the Chicago Cubs.
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