Pablo Sandoval looks noticeably slimmer upon re-joining Boston Red Sox

Weight has been an ongoing issue for Pablo Sandoval, but he looks noticeably thinner right now as he works his way back from shoulder surgery.

Pablo Sandoval’s 2015 season with the Boston Red Sox, to put it kindly, was not very good. He set career-lows across the board (.245, 10 home runs and 47 RBI over 470 at-bats), in the first year of a five-year, $95 million deal.

Things didn’t start any better in 2016, as Sandoval showed up to spring training overweight, had a wardrobe malfunction and lost the starting job at third base to Travis Shaw in quick succession.

Sandoval played just three games early in the season, with six at-bats, before landing on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury. Speculation about the creation of a phantom injury followed quickly, but Sandoval’s season-ending shoulder surgery in May put that to rest.

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Sandoval has been working out at Boston’s spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida, and he re-joined his teammates in Tampa Bay for some pre-game fielding on Wednesday. “Kung Fu Panda” talked about his progress.

"“I feel a lot better,” said Sandoval, who has been working out six days a week at the Red Sox spring training complex in Fort Myers. “It’s not back to normal, but feeling a lot better. I’m happy to be back here with my teammates. Happy to start doing work.”"

Rob Bradford of WEEI reported that Sandoval has lost 22 pounds during his rehab from shoulder surgery. He has not yet been cleared to hit, but he’s expected to be ready for spring training next year.

There is visual evidence of Sandoval’s weight loss, as he does look noticeably thinner.

A potential fresh start in 2017 is in front of Sandoval, but he has to keep his weight in check over the course of the offseason. Until he shows up next spring in decent shape, skepticism can reign for all involved.