Red Sox catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli, whose signing this offseason was complicated due to being diagnosed with avascular necrosis, ran the bases for the first time yesterday and is ready to make his debut tonight at first base, according to ESPN.com.
Avascular necrosis is a degenerative condition that kills bone cells due to an interruption of blood supply and causes the affected bone to collapse. Napoli suffers from avascular necrosis in both of his hips, and the condition cost Napoli the three-year $39 million deal he signed with Boston in December. After a month of meeting with doctors and deciding on the proper course of treatment, Napoli eventually put his signature on a one-year $5 million agreement. Much to Napoli's dismay, he most likely will not catch this season. "I want to catch. I wish I could catch. But it's just something I have to do. I want to still play baseball. They're giving me an opportunity to play first. I'm just going to go out there every day and make myself better," Napoli told Fox Sports in February.
Napoli had a breakout 2011 campaign with the Texas Rangers, posting a career-high .320 batting average with 30 home runs and 75 RBI, but injured his ankle in the Game 6 of the World Series. He caught Game 7 but was hurt, and missed 34 games the following season with a quadriceps injury. Napoli managed to hit 24 home runs, but finished the year with a .227 batting average, nearly a 100-point drop.
While Napoli relishes catching and prefers it to his new position, he likely adds more value to his new squad at first base. Defensively, Napoli is considered a below-average defender at catcher, and while he was not a Gold-Glove contender at first base either, in his 1040 career innings at the position he was not a negative impact defensively.
The switch to first base likely means more games and plate appearances for Napoli, who despite a pretty low career batting average (.259) boasts a career .356 on-base percentage and has hit 20 or more home runs every year since 2008.
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