Rockies' Chad Bettis Announces He Had Surgery After Testicular Cancer Diagnosis

Colorado Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis released a statement through his agent Monday that said he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had a testicle removed during surgery in November, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

The pitcher is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready to report to spring training in February, per Crasnick.

Bettis said he was caught off guard by the diagnosis and thanked the Rockies and the Major League Baseball Players Association for their support as he recovers.   

Bettis started 32 games for the Rockies in 2016 and finished with a 4.79 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. While those numbers don't jump off the page, he pitched a career-high 186 innings and struck out 138 batters. His previous high mark for strikeouts was 98, and he won 14 games after entering the 2016 campaign with just nine wins in his career.

The right-handed pitcher is just 27 years old and is listed as the Rockies' No. 1 starter on the team's depth chart. Bettis could start Opening Day if he fully recovers from this diagnosis.