Detroit Tigers Pitcher Daniel Norris Says He Has Cancer

Shocking news from Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris. He announced on his Instagram this afternoon that he has a malignant growth on his thyroid. He will have surgery soon.

Norris say he was diagnosed with a growth early in the season, but in seeking a second opinion, doctors told him he could postpone the surgery until the end of the season.

The Tigers acquired Norris from the Toronto Blue Jays in the David Price trade in August. The Tigers say they knew about the diagnosis.when they made the deal. Norris is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for spring training.

Here is the text of Norris' Instagram post:

"I’ve been debating for months as to how or even if I should share this with people. – I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer. So now, I’m asking for prayers. – A few months ago, after I was optioned to AAA, I found out I had a growth on my thyroid. Flying back & forth from Toronto to Buffalo after pitching to have more and more tests done it was finally concluded that the growth is considered malignant.. Meaning it contained the C word.. cancer. Hearing this was alarming, yea. Weird, yea, that too. I was given the option to shut my year down & get it removed immediately. However, seeing another doctor that determined I could wait until the end of the season reassured my gut feeling. Just Keep Playing. Baseball kept me sane. Regardless of results on the field, I forgot about it when I was between the lines. Afterall, I was just trying to get the heck out of AAA. & I did. I was revived with an opportunity, a blessing from God, with the Tigers back in the Big Leagues. So yea, the power of prayer.. It got me through this season. Now that it’s over it’s time to get this thing out, so please keep me in your thoughts & prayers as I undergo surgery & come out 100% cancer free! As always,,, #justkeeplivin"

I've been debating for months as to how or even if I should share this with people. - I'm a firm believer in the power of prayer. So now, I'm asking for prayers. - A few months ago, after I was optioned to AAA, I found out I had a growth on my thyroid. Flying back & forth from Toronto to Buffalo after pitching to have more and more tests done it was finally concluded that the growth is considered malignant.. Meaning it contained the C word.. cancer. Hearing this was alarming, yea. Weird, yea, that too. I was given the option to shut my year down & get it removed immediately. However, seeing another doctor that determined I could wait until the end of the season reassured my gut feeling. Just Keep Playing. Baseball kept me sane. Regardless of results on the field, I forgot about it when I was between the lines. Afterall, I was just trying to get the heck out of AAA. & I did. I was revived with an opportunity, a blessing from God, with the Tigers back in the Big Leagues. So yea, the power of prayer.. It got me through this season. Now that it's over it's time to get this thing out, so please keep me in your thoughts & prayers as I undergo surgery & come out 100% cancer free! As always,,, #justkeeplivin

A photo posted by Daniel Norris (@danielnorris18) on Oct 19, 2015 at 1:59pm PDT