Trim-looking Sandoval poses with FC Barcelona
Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who missed all but three games of the 2016 campaign after season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, may be in the best shape of his life.
On Friday, soccer club FC Barcelona tweeted out a photo of the Venezuelan also known as "Kung Fu Panda" and he looked noticeably trimmer than his MLB.com-listed weight of 255 pounds.
“This is a dream come true!"
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 28, 2016
– Pablo Sandoval, Boston @RedSox 3B & 2012 #WorldSeries MVP
FULL STORY: https://t.co/f5B9jytJJn@MLB⚾🐼 pic.twitter.com/toQbbEF3I1
Sandoval, who's come under scrutiny in the past for being overweight and out of shape, is expected to compete with Travis Shaw and Brock Holt for the starting third base job in spring training.
The 30-year-old will enter the third year of a five-year, $90-million contract he signed with the Red Sox on Nov. 24, 2014. During his Boston tenure, he's hit .242/.290/.361 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs.