UPDATE: Daniel Norris underwent surgery to remove the malignant growth in his thyroid and he's now cancer-free.

 

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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.

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

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.