Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn is battling cancer of a salivary gland, according to an interview he gave to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Gwynn told the paper he has had surgery three times to remove tumors on the parotid, the largest of the salivary glands. He said procedures done in 1997 and three years ago were cancer-free, but a surgery performed last month revealed a malignancy.
Gwynn told the paper that doctors removed three lymph nodes, and testing showed the cancer. However, he added that doctors felt the cancer was detected in an early stage and told him "there was not much of it there."
Gwynn, 50, said he will have seven to eight weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
Gwynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. He finished his career with 3,141 hits and a .338 batting average.
Gwynn has been the head baseball coach at San Diego State, his alma mater, since 2003. The school's athletic director, Jim Sterk, said Gwynn's goal is to return for the start of the season.
