Napoli to undergo surgery for sleep apnea

After enduring a season riddled with minor injuries, Mike Napoli will reportedly undergo surgery on his jaw to address an ongoing problem with sleep apnea.

The Red Sox slugger told WEEI Radio in Boston that facial reconstruction surgery is scheduled for Nov. 4.

"I've been dealing with sleep apnea for a long time, my whole career," Napoli told WEEI.com. "I've tried numerous things and none of them worked. Dental mouth piece, CPAP machine, medicines. ... It's just gotten to the point where I have to get this done."

Napoli dealt with finger, toe and knee injuries this year but managed to play in 119 games for the Sox, batting .248 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs in his second season with Boston.

According to ESPN.com, the procedure is called bimaxillary advancement surgery and will separate front portions of the lower and upper jaw to move them forward and allow more room behind the tongue, reducing the chances of the airway being obstructed while sleeping.