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Napoli, who is out for the season following surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, is continuing to rehab the injury with the hope of playing in 2019, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.
Napoli has regained some range of motion and strength in his leg since going under the knife in early May, but an injury of that kind of severity at his age -- he'll turn 37 in October -- could be the death knell for his career. Even before going under the knife, Napoli struggled to find work over the winter, waiting until late February before agreeing to a minor-league pact with the Indians. Napoli, who hit 29 home runs for the Rangers in 2017 but posted a weak .285 on-base percentage, acknowledges that he'll face an uphill battle in trying to resurface in the big leagues. He's used his free time this summer to mentor some of the young hitters in the Cleveland organization in preparation for a potential coaching gig if he fails to claim an MLB roster spot next spring.
