DETROIT (AP) – Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris says baseball kept him sane after a jarring medical diagnosis.
The Detroit left-hander announced in a message on Twitter and Instagram on Monday that he kept playing last season after finding out he had a cancerous growth on his thyroid. The 22-year-old Norris said the growth was deemed malignant but he was told by a doctor that he could wait until the end of the season to have it removed.
“I was given the option to shut my year down & get it removed immediately,” Norris posted. “However, seeing another doctor that determined I could wait until the end of the season reassured my gut feeling. Just keep playing.”
Norris went 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA this year in 13 starts for Toronto and Detroit. He was traded to the Tigers in late July as the most highly regarded prospect in the deal that sent David Price to the Blue Jays.
Al Avila, who was promoted to replace Dave Dombrowski as Detroit’s general manager shortly after the trade deadline, said in a text message that the Tigers knew about Norris’ condition when they acquired him and expect him to recover in full.