UPDATE: Daniel Norris underwent surgery to remove the malignant growth in his thyroid and he's now cancer-free.
A photo posted by Daniel Norris (@danielnorris18) on Oct 29, 2015 at 2:34pm PDT
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As MLB fans are witnessing one of the most exciting postseasons in years, there's some somber news out of Detroit on Monday.
Tigers' starter Daniel Norris was found to have a malignant growth on his thyroid and will undergo surgery to have it removed. Norris, 22, made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays this season before he was traded to Detroit at the non-waiver deadline in the deal that sent David Price to Toronto.
The left-hander was diagnosed a few months ago, but opted to finish the season before undergoing the procedure, which would have ended his year. He received a second opinion and was told he could wait until the conclusion of 2015.
Norris posted the news on his Instagram account earlier today.
Luckily for Norris, the survival rates for thyroid cancer patients are very good. Norris did not disclose what stage of thyroid cancer he was diagnosed with, but assuming from the second opinion he was given it's more than likely to be stage one. The five-year survival rate for stages one and two of papillary and follicular thyroid cancer are near 100%, according to the American Cancer Society.
"Tigers general manager Al Avila, who was promoted as Dave Dombrowski's replacement days after the trade deadline, said the team knew about Norris' cancer prior to the July 30 trade for left-handed ace David Price and that Norris is expected to make a full recovery for spring training. The Tigers declined further comment, citing it as a personal matter," wrote Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.
Norris finished the 2015 season 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in eight starts for Detroit and five for Toronto.
The former top prospect in the Blue Jays' organization is expected to be an integral aspect of the Tigers' future.
