Washington Nationals starter Jon Lester is leaving the team’s spring training facility in Florida to undergo surgery in New York to remove his thyroid gland, manager Dave Martinez said. Lester’s surgery is scheduled for Friday, a team spokesperson said.
Lester, signed this offseason to become the team’s fourth starter, shouldn’t miss much time. Martinez figured Lester would be out for “five to seven days” before returning to West Palm Beach, Florida.
“If everything goes well, he’ll be back, hopefully he can pitch again in about a week,” Martinez said Wednesday. “We want him to get it taken care of now, so it’s not an issue.