Hansen K’s snoring

Craig Hansen is sleeping better these days.

In 2006, Hansen checked into a sleep study clinic, where he was diagnosed with sleep apnea, a condition that caused him to wake up an average of 56 times an hour.

He decided not to have corrective surgery at the time of diagnosis, because it would have delayed the start of his 2007 season.

He finally underwent surgery in November of 2007, and now that he feels rested, he’s focusing on getting his slider back in form.

“It’s a lot better. It’s got more bite to it. Mike Griffin was able to help me out at Pawtucket with that and we worked on that every day. Now I have that pitch, as opposed to not having it at all.”

If his slider continues to improve and he gets the call to Boston, Hansen should be a valuable option out of the bullpen. The club will be closely monitoring Okajima’s pitch count, and Delcarmen could use some help in the backup role.