It was revealed Monday that Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris played the 2015 season with a malignant tumor on his thyroid, a condition he found out about in April while with the Toronto Blue Jays. Norris was traded to the Tigers in a deal involving David Price at the trade deadline.
The 22-year-old revealed the news via Instagram on Monday, and Tigers GM Al Avila confirmed the news over text. Norris was diagnosed with the cancer after being optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
The Tigers were made aware of the condition when the deal went down, but the doctor said the treatment can be held off until after the season. The left-hander is expected to make a full recovery before next season.
Norris says he was given the option to shut down for the season, but wanted to finish out his campaign with Toronto and Detroit. He went on to state on Instagram "baseball kept me sane."
The game did this by keeping his mind off of his medical condition, yet his teammates could tell he was dealing with something. Former minor-league teammate Dalton Pompey said Norris told him he went to the doctors for something in his throat, but was told not to worry, causing Pompey to think nothing of it.
Norris wasn't sure whether or not to share the news, as he did not want to become a distraction to the team or the game.
The young pitcher will enter the 2016 season as one of the top talents in the Tigers' starting rotation after going 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in the majors. Right now, Norris will spend the off-season dealing with something much more important, fighting off cancer.
The 22-year-old revealed the news via Instagram on Monday, and Tigers GM Al Avila confirmed the news over text. Norris was diagnosed with the cancer after being optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
The Tigers were made aware of the condition when the deal went down, but the doctor said the treatment can be held off until after the season. The left-hander is expected to make a full recovery before next season.
Norris says he was given the option to shut down for the season, but wanted to finish out his campaign with Toronto and Detroit. He went on to state on Instagram "baseball kept me sane."
The game did this by keeping his mind off of his medical condition, yet his teammates could tell he was dealing with something. Former minor-league teammate Dalton Pompey said Norris told him he went to the doctors for something in his throat, but was told not to worry, causing Pompey to think nothing of it.
Norris wasn't sure whether or not to share the news, as he did not want to become a distraction to the team or the game.
The young pitcher will enter the 2016 season as one of the top talents in the Tigers' starting rotation after going 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in the majors. Right now, Norris will spend the off-season dealing with something much more important, fighting off cancer.
