CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guardians reliever Nic Enright achieved his major league dream this weekend in Detroit, completing a remarkable journey that took him from prospect to cancer patient to big league pitcher.
Enright, a 20th round pick out of Virginia Tech by Cleveland in the 2019 draft, made his MLB debut during “Strikeout Cancer Weekend,” a poignant moment for a player who has spent the past two and a half years battling a rare form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma while never giving up on his big league dreams.
Enright, 28, allowed two hits and struck out three in two scoreless innings as the Guardians fell, 5-0, at Comerica Park. But the numbers were almost inconsequential compared to Enright finally achieving his goal.
“A day like yesterday makes the long, winding journey that it’s been all worth it,” Enright said. “Everything that I’ve gone through these last couple of years, to me, it’s just a testament that while this disease is a terrible one, I never let it control me. I never let it dictate my life.”
Enright’s ordeal began suddenly in December 2022 when he woke up with pain in his neck. The next day he went to the emergency room and that prompted a “whirlwind 48 hours” of tests that resulted in a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
It was a shock to Enright, who felt otherwise healthy and was preparing for the upcoming season. “We were sitting there in the hospital room like, there’s no way,” Enright said. “I’m healthy. I feel great. All my numbers in the weight room have been good. My throwing had felt really good.”
But there were symptoms that Enright said he recognized in retrospect and overlooked. Getting itchy at night, night sweats, bumps on his eyelids and eczema on his elbows. All signs of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The right-hander has undergone 12 treatments of immunotherapy, with four more scheduled for the upcoming offseason. He described the form of the disease as “super rare and very unique” and added that there is no standardized playbook for how to go through the treatments.
Enright said he faced moments of doubt throughout his return. “There were some dark days, and that’s when I leaned on all those people around me,” he said. “There were some outings when I was coming back in ’23 and I was in Columbus, where me and my wife were sitting there, and we’re like, ‘Is all this worth it? Am I doing the right thing?’”
His perseverance paid off when AAA pitching coach Cody Buckel informed him of his call-up to join the Guardians in Detroit when Hunter Gaddis went on the MLB bereavement list. The moment when he told his wife Erin and his parents was especially meaningful.
“Being able to tell them in person and just seeing it wash over their face and hug them after everything that’s gone on these last couple years is just super special,” Enright said.
Enright took a moment to reflect on his journey after walking off the mound to end the eighth inning. “I came into the dugout, and then in that in-between, I just stepped down in the tunnel and took a moment just to be like, ‘Man, this really happened. This isn’t a dream.’”
Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis #51 of the Guardians embraces rookie pitcher Nic Enright #59 after pitching the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 25, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Enright made his major league debut in the seventh inning. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)Getty Images
Adding to the significance of the moment, Enright was assigned number 59 – the same number worn by former Cleveland pitcher Carlos Carrasco, whose own battle with cancer was well documented during the 2019 season.
“Between wearing the same number as (Carrasco), him being there for me when I was initially diagnosed on top of it being in Detroit for Strikeout Cancer Weekend, it’s not a coincidence,” Enright said.
While proud of achieving his debut, Enright emphasized his focus remains on contributing to the team.
“The goal isn’t to just debut. The goal is to come up here, take the ball every time my name is called and do everything I can to help this team win games,” he said.
Enright hopes his story will inspire others facing similar challenges.
“The biggest thing was not letting (cancer) control me and not letting it dictate how I was going to live my life,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing for anyone else who’s going through something similar to this. To not let it consume you and not let it become everything that you are.”
AI was used to generate a portion of this post.
