Nationals starter Jon Lester to undergo thyroid surgery

“If everything goes well, he’ll be back, hopefully he can pitch again in about a week,” Martinez said on a video call with reporters Wednesday. “We want him to get it taken care of now, so it’s not an issue.”

He continued: “We’ve known he’s had it. We were waiting for some other results to come through. Talked to the doctor [Tuesday], and he wants to go ahead and have it removed, which we all agree was a good thing for him. He’ll feel better with that gone. And then we’ll go from there.”

Lester could return in five to seven days after the surgery, Martinez explained based on his conversations with team medical staff. The 37-year-old Lester joined the Nationals on a one-year, $5 million contract in January. He has made at least 31 starts in every full season since 2008. His durability and health are defining strengths. But his major league career did begin with him beating anaplastic large cell lymphoma as a rookie with the Boston Red Sox.

The cancer was diagnosed in September 2006 and, after offseason chemotherapy treatment, Lester was in remission by December. When asked Tuesday if Lester’s medical history made this thyroid issue more concerning, Martinez did not go into specifics. Lester did not speak with reporters before leaving for New York.

“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. So 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.”

Lester was originally scheduled to make his spring debut against the New York Mets on Thursday. Upon signing this winter, after six seasons, a World Series win and two all-star appearances with the Chicago Cubs, he was immediately penciled in as the Nationals’ fourth starter. They targeted him in spring training because he is pitching’s version of a metronome.

Each year, he stays on an every-fifth-day schedule that teams crave. And in most starts, he is good for at least five innings. Lester dipped in 2020 with a 5.16 ERA in 61 innings. As recent as this week, the Nationals were banking on him improving those numbers while maintaining that steady workload.

“I project a veteran presence who is going to be very, very helpful, a great clubhouse guy,” said new pitching coach Jim Hickey, who briefly overlapped with Lester in Chicago. “But also someone who’s going to take the ball … I’ll say the words: Every fifth day. … He’s going to give you innings, he’s going to compete, he’s going to throw the ball over the plate.”